Ireland is the first EU country to be granted permission to sell beef to the US market.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney announced today that Ireland will now be allowed to export beef for sale in the US, making Ireland the first EU member state to achieve this since the ban was imposed nearly two decades ago during the BSE crisis.
The permission was granted after a successful inspection by the US authorities of Ireland’s beef production systems in July of last year.
Minister Coveney said he was “delighted” to confirm that the US market is now open to Irish beef, adding that it is the culmination of two years of intensive work between hsi department and the US to prove Ireland’s credentials as a supplier of highest quality premium beef.
BSE ban
Beef from the EU has been banned from the US since it imposed its ban for BSE reasons over fifteen years ago and this ban was only formally lifted in March 2014. Ireland had been consistently calling for the US to lift its ban and Minister Coveney had raised the matter with Secretary of State Tom Vilsack , citing the high demand for Irish beef around the world as proof of its quality and reliability.
Coveney said that today’s announcement by the US “is a huge endorsement of Irish beef and our production and regulatory systems”.
He added that it complements the other market access outlets Ireland have secured in the last two years all of which are a key element of our Food Harvest 2020 strategy to expand the overseas opportunity for Irish beef.
It’s clear that diversifying our international beef markets as an exporting country is key to the long-term sustainability of our beef sector.
This US decision clears the way for the Irish authorities to approve individual beef plants here to export to the US, approval for which will be based on agreed criteria with their US counterparts.
The agriculture department has already begun working with interested Irish plants to assess their readiness and suitability for export for some time, with the department stating that work will intensify now in order that the trade can formally commence as soon as possible.
Coveney said the large Irish-American community will be a key target for Ireland’s promotional efforts for Irish beef.
This US market is a huge prize given the size of the market and the demand we know exists there for premium grass-fed beef. We now have first-mover advantage as a result of being the first EU member state to gain entry.
The department and Bord Bia said they will announce a number of new initiatives in the coming weeks, which will include a dedicated website aimed at American consumers and buyers highlighting the quality of Irish beef.
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