This week, Minister of State Timmy Dooley TD leads a trade mission to China in what is now effectively an annual event.
Being the largest importer of agri-food products in the world, China is an obvious attraction for the Irish agri-food industry which exports 90% of production.
Asian markets in general welcome political endorsement and, as well as doing what is necessary to get market access, the Government can also provide political participation and leadership.
This is an area in which Irish governments have delivered, as has Bord Bia - often, its best and most valuable work is done in markets that are not yet commercially viable but have potential.
Stop-start
In this regard, work to build a market for Irish beef in China has been particularly frustrating.
After several years of work, market access was secured and Irish beef was launched back in 2018.
However, after a promising start, it has been a stop-start business since then because of random cases of BSE being found in Irish cattle.
The condition of approval for market access to China is that the Government notifies Chinese authorities of any BSE incident - even if it is atypical - and exports are suspended.
Currently, Irish beef exports are suspended, as a case was found in October last year and, so far, we have not been cleared to resume.
The only other country that has had similar problems to Ireland with BSE was Brazil.
However, as it is a major supplier of imports and prolonged suspension would create difficulties in the supply chain, it had the suspension lifted quickly.
Lifting the suspension for Ireland is a much lower priority because we were always a small supplier at best.
Desirable, not essential
With the European market currently strong and Irish cattle supplies running over 150,000 head lower than last year, markets for Irish beef aren’t a problem at the moment.
However, we can never be complacent and it is right that the minister uses the occasion of the trade visit to press for the lifting of the suspension of Irish beef exports.
Even though it has delivered little so far for Irish beef exports, it remains a market with promise.
The main interest for Irish farmers in China at present is its importance as a market for dairy and pigmeat exports.
Up to the end of August this year, Ireland exported €338m worth of food and drink to China, plus a further €25.1m to Hong Kong.
The main category is dairy with €242.3m of exports followed by pigmeat on €66m. Hong Kong still takes Irish beef and sales to that market so far this year amount to €10.4m and a further €4m of beef offal.
All things being equal, the most valuable export markets are those closest to home and, in Ireland’s case, we are ideally placed to supply the UK, which happens to be a net importer.
However, given the sheer size of the Chinese market and their Asian neighbours, they are worth investing in, not necessarily to become a high-volume market, but as an additional market option, particularly for products that aren’t popular in Europe.
Strong growth potential in Chinese market for high protein foods – Bord Bia
View from China: Irish dairy has huge potential as a consumer brand