China lifts ban on Irish beef imports, reopening multimillion-euro market

China has lifted its 2020 ban on the import of Irish beef, putting the longstanding issue to rest and reopening a multimillion-euro market for Irish farmers.

Shipments of Irish beef to China were suspended following an isolated case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in May 2020.

Despite the fact that atypical BSE is not considered a public health risk, beef exports were immediately suspended as a precautionary measure in line with the bilateral protocol on the trade agreed with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

Prior to the ban, in 2019, the value of Irish beef exports to China amounted to €96 million and was on course to rise to over €100 million in 2020.

Celebrating the news, announced on Thursday (5 January), Irish agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue called China’s decision to resume Irish beef imports on the same conditions as before a “clear vote of confidence in the output of our beef sector”.

The resumption of beef access has been a “top priority” for Ireland over the past two years as Ireland’s reputation as an exporter of high-quality beef worldwide “hinges on its compliance with stringent animal health and food safety standards”, McConalogue explained in a statement.

The minister added he is looking forward to seeing the value of the Chinese market grow in the near future.

Likewise, Irish minister of state Martin Heydon, whose responsibilities include market development, welcomed the news.

“It has taken a trojan effort to get to this point but it is a very positive development for the sector,” he said on Twitter, adding he is now working with the industry to “capitalise on the opportunities this offers” and pick up where they left off.

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However, a representative from the Irish Farmer’s Association (IFA) warned that the combination of the impact of the COVID pandemic on China’s food service industry, together with ground gained on the market by competitors such as Brazil in the absence of Irish beef imports over the past two and a half years, means the market may not immediately bounce back.

As such, IFA president Tim Cullinan called for this opportunity to now be further developed.

“It is important that eligibility is secured for all Irish beef products and the market opportunity is not restrictive, the protocol must now be worked on to allow beef products from all Irish livestock,” he said.

For his part, IFA livestock chairman Brendan Golden stressed that farmers need to see the benefits of this renewed access directly in stronger beef prices to offset rising production costs.

Meanwhile, some green campaigners questioned whether the move was in line with Ireland’s sustainability goals, while others raised concerns this may increase cattle production.

As per the country’s latest Climate Action Plan, which pledges to halve overall carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland’s agriculture industry must be reduced by 25% by 2030.

But, for the IFA, the move is more likely to strengthen farmers’ economic viability rather than drive up production.

As such, the resumption of trade may actually help farmers achieve environmental goals by strengthening the price on the market, therefore offering a sufficient margin to continue farming more sustainably, the association representative explained.

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[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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