Ireland has secured improved access for Irish beef to the US market, Minister Michael Creed has announced.

The decision has been made by US authorities to recognise Ireland’s raw meat control system as equivalent to that of the US. This extends access to include manufacturing beef intended for grinding which is typically used in burgers and similar processed products.

Ireland is the first EU Member State to achieve this status.

This is the culmination of over a year of intensive work

Commenting on the news, Minister Creed said “I am delighted with this confirmation that the US authorities have recognised the equivalent standards overseen by my Department, and granted access to Irish manufacturing beef, building on our existing access from last year. This is the culmination of over a year of intensive work between my Department and its US counterparts. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my US counterpart Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and his officials for their collaboration in helping to reach this milestone”.

In January 2015 it was decided to permit access for raw intact beef from Ireland to the US and discussions to allow access to manufacturing beef intended for grinding since then.

The Minister commented “as we know, this US market is a potentially huge prize given the size of the market and the demand we know exists there for premium grass-fed beef. We already have first-mover advantage as a result of being the first EU member state to gain entry, which we have been exploiting through various marketing initiatives and this decision now creates an opportunity for industry to become involved in the export of manufacturing beef to the US. These exports will be supported by a marketing initiative promoting Irish manufacturing beef. Exports in 2015 and the positive start to 2016 suggest that there is opportunity for industry to capitalise on this potentially significant market outlet for Irish beef”.

BSE

Beef from the EU has been banned from the US since it imposed its ban for BSE reasons over fifteen years ago. This ban was only formally lifted in March 2014. Ireland was the first EU MS to secure market access in January 2015 and remains the only MS exporting beef to this market to date.

This US decision clears the way for the Department of Agriculture to approve those individual beef plants who wish to become approved to export manufacturing beef intended for grinding to the US, based on criteria agreed with its US counterparts which will need to be completed in full before trade in manufacturing beef can commence.

IFA president Joe Healy welcome this Wednesday's announcement, insisting on the next steps in the process: “It is very important that real delivery is made on accessing new markets for Irish beef, particularly in light of the recent Brexit outcome. A lot more work needs to be done in getting more beef plants approved for export to the US.”

ICSA beef chairman Edmond Phelan, too, welcomed the announcement. “The prospect of exporting manufacturing beef to the US is potentially a big deal given the size of the market,” he said.

“The timing of this announcement is also important as there has been a lot of scaremongering regarding cattle prices in the days since the UK voted to leave the EU. However, in the aftermath of Brexit a somewhat weaker euro will be advantageous to exporting to the US."

Phelan added that "farmers are used to announcements which do not translate into actual business immediately" and called for a marketing campaign to capitaise on Ireland's grass-based and environmentally friendly production system.

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