Ireland’s beef industry is already more excited about the possibilities from the opening of the Chinese market to Irish beef than it was for the re-opening of the US, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has said.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at an event on the farm of Mayo IFA chairman Padriac Joyce on Saturday, the Minister said that beef companies already have “troops on the ground” in preparation for accessing the market. He also explained why the Chinese market is so attractive.

“The beef industry is, ironically, more excited about China than the US and it has been very excited about the US market, so you can see the significance of this announcement,” Minister Coveney said.

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“If you look at the pace of beef consumption growth in China, there is no hope of them keeping pace with domestic production. Last year, beef imports to China were at about 268,000 tonnes - by 2018 they’ll be at 1.7m tonnes,” the Minister added.

China banned European beef after the outbreak of BSE in 2000. Ireland is the first country in Europe to gain access to the market again.

The Minister also confirmed the intended target market sector for the Irish beef when product starts to make its way to China.

“Our interest is the premium market but also the offal market -selling parts of the carcase that there is no market for in Europe... we’re already sending €40m of cattle skins there,” the Minister added.