Beef industry has welcomed return of China exports

THE resumption of beef exports to China has been widely welcomed by the industry.

Last week the Dept of Agriculture confirmed the resumption of Irish beef exports to China after a 10-week suspension by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). According to CSO figures, over 3,200 tonnes of Irish beef, valued at €19.7m, was exported to China in 2023 prior to the November suspension.

Exports were halted when a case of atypical BSE was detected in a dead 10-year-old cow in the west of Ireland in November. Following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Ireland last week, it was confirmed exports will resume.

ICMSA president Denis Drennan warmly welcomed the announcement and said that credit was due to the ministers and their officials for convincing the Chinese to overturn a ban that he felt was 'unnecessary'.

Mr Drennan said that taken together with the recent uptick in beef prices, the sector could now look into 2024 with more confidence and he called on Minister McConalogue to ‘build’ on these developments and look again at the whole area of greater integration of dairy and beef sectors as well as margins in the beef supply chain.

Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the Ibec sector organisation representing the primary beef processing companies in Ireland, the teh development will empower beef processors to enhance trade opportunities with China. Bord Bia has reactivated a €1.6m EU co-funded beef and lamb campaign in China.

Bord Bia’s China manager, Conor O’Sullivan said the medium- term forecast for the Chinese beef market is positive, predicting increased demand through the year.

‘I look forward to once again working with Irish exporters to build the long term opportunities for Irish beef in the Chinese market,’ he said.

But ICSA Beef chair Edmund Graham stressed that farmers must see a dividend as a result this time.

‘We have fought hard once again to get Irish beef back into the Chinese market and the opportunity is there to really make that market count, and count for the primary producers of beef, not just the processors. The resumption of exports to China must lead to an increase in beef price.’

‘Beef farmers are enduring yet another long, hard, and expensive winter and the current price of beef is still not enough to cover our increased cost of production. Beef price needs to go to a base price of a least €6.00/kg in the short term to cover the costs of this winter.’