Meat Industry Ireland welcomes the approval of 14 Irish beef processing sites to China

Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the Ibec group that represents the meat processing and export business in Ireland, has today welcomed the news from China that a further 14 beef processing sites have been approved for access to that market. 

Cormac Healy, MII Senior Director, said: “This is a positive development coming after the extensive round of inspection audits of Irish plants by Chinese inspectors at end-August/early-September.  A massive amount of work by processors and MII has gone into getting to this point. The huge efforts of the DAFM Market Access team should also be recognised.

“This announcement builds on the progress made during 2018 and earlier this year which saw seven beef processing sites secure access to China. 

“Building access for Irish beef and other meats to international growth markets is crucial to maximising market returns to the entire sector, particularly when faced with challenging internal EU market conditions.

“MII will work with the Department of Agriculture and members to ensure the final paperwork is promptly completed in order to clear the way for exports to commence from these sites and to extend the list of eligible products that can be traded”.