Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Apr 2003

Vol. 564 No. 3

Written Answers - Meat Imports.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

27 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the quantity of beef, pig meat and poultry meat imported in each of the past seven years; the country of origin of the products; if he has satisfied himself that all meat is produced to the same high standard as that by Irish farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3154/03]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The Central Statistics Office is responsible for the collection of statistics in relation to imports of meat and meat preparations. The following tables, compiled from data supplied by that office, set out the information requested by the Deputy. In relation to the tables the following points should be noted: The data for 2002 has only recently been compiled by the CSO. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, these returns may stand to be adjusted marginally as data is rechecked. In certain cases the record of import may include the re-import of Irish prod ucts that were originally the subject of an export from this country; The information available for imports from member states of the European Union, EU, does not differentiate between imports originating in the EU country and those originating from third countries that may already be in free circulation within the Community.

On a more general point, it should be noted that under EU harmonised rules, imports into the European Union from third countries must have been sourced in premises and in countries which are approved by the European Commission and which are subject to veterinary audits by the EUs Food and Veterinary Office. In addition, such imports are subject to checks on import laid down in harmonised rules prescribed at European level, and must be accompanied by veterinary health certification from the authorities in the country of export.

Imports of Beef – EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Austria	–	–	–	1	406	37	82
Belgium	233	28	74	45	352	556	218
Germany	90	105	75	21	54	465	1,125
Denmark	85	647	88	117	1	135	248
Spain	–	58	13	88	15	14	4
France	598	487	937	265	344	915	851
GB	3,837	5,499	4,968	4,304	4,782	4,621	3,629
Ireland	–	–	–	88	192	1,177	110
Italy	86	247	12	8	181	286	125
Netherlands	505	849	1,634	452	616	566	942
Portugal	–	–	13	–	–	–	–
Sweden	–	85	518	–	–	1	29
Northern Ireland	4,563	3,320	2,037	740	404	128	1,491
Totals	9,997	11,325	10,369	6,129	7,347	8,901	8,854

Imports of Beef – Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Australia	977	165	0	5	–	–	–
Argentina	851	551	161	36	–	59	223
Bangladesh	–	–	–	–	–	1	–
Bahrain	–	–	–	–	–	24	–
Bosnia and Herzegovnia	–	–	–	–	–	–	2
Brazil	105	372	347	1,113	2,167	3,335	3,908
China	–	4	–	–	–	–	–
Cyprus	–	9	–	–	–	–	–
Czech Republic	–	–	115	–	–	–	–
Egypt	–	747	297	–	–	3,891	–
Ghana	–	24	–	–	–	–	–
Hungary	19	–	–	–	–	–	–
Iceland	–	–	–	–	–	11	–
Indonesia	–	–	–	–	–	163	–
Ivory Coast	15	–	–	–	–	–	–
Jamaica	–	–	24	–	–	–	–
Japan	–	–	6	–	–	375	–
Jordan	75	–	–	–	–	–	–
Kenya	–	–	–	6	–	–	–
Kuwait	–	–	6	–	–	–	–
Lebanon	13	–	–	–	–	–	–
Morocco	6	–	–	–	–	–	–
Namibia	–	–	–	–	–	–	188
Nicaragua	–	–	–	–	–	3	–

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Norway	–	–	–	–	–	–	3
New Zealand	276	178	204	121	1	0	–
Philippines	–	25	–	–	–	26	9
Qatar	33	–	–	–	–	–	–
Romania	8	–	–	–	–	–	–
Saudi Arabia	2	–	–	–	–	340	–
Senegal	24	–	–	–	–	–	–
Singapore	21	–	–	–	–	–	–
South Korea	–	–	22	–	–	–	–
Syria	–	–	–	0	–	–	–
Togo	–	–	–	–	0	0	–
Ukraine	9	–	–	–	–	–	–
Uruguay	47	418	285	237	236	115	666
USA	0	28	0	–	–	18	0
South Africa	14	4	–	–	–	24	–

Totals

2,4952,5251,4671,5182,4048,3854,999Note: "0" means imports of less than 1 tonne.

Imports of Pigmeat – EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Austria	–	–	–	–	1	1	29
Belgium	1,260	870	617	425	449	504	803
Germany	1,600	1,022	2,451	2,419	2,557	4,334	6,422
Denmark	4,992	4,997	4,189	3,898	3,895	5,747	5,068
Spain	8	14	18	25	20	95	16
Finland	–	–	–	1	–	–	129
France	1,925	2,558	3,658	2,263	3,781	4,615	4,315
GB	12,345	10,922	11,296	9,773	11,590	13,745	12,495
Greece	–	–	–	–	41	–	3
Ireland	–	–	–	862	264	3,083	5,530
Italy	55	93	197	323	259	467	455
Luxembourg	–	–	–	–	–	–	3
Netherlands	5,230	3,911	5,245	6,807	8,753	7,773	8,656
Portugal	–	–	–	–	–	1	1
Sweden	–	76	0	–	56	–	24
Northern Ireland	6,495	6,539	6,640	5,041	5,263	2,771	3,072
Total	33,910	31,002	34,311	31,837	36,929	43,136	47,021

Note: "0" means imports of less than 1 tonne.

Imports of Pigmeat – Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Argentina	–	78	–	–	53	19	5
Australia	–	–	–	–	0	–	–
Ivory Coast	–	–	–	1	–	–	4
Canada	2	–	–	0	–	–	–
China	0	–	–	–	0	4	0
Dominica	19	5	2	–	–	–	–
Hong Kong	–	–	–	–	0	0	0
Hungary	1	4	6	3	7	3	0
Indonesia	–	14	–	–	–	–	–
Iran	–	–	–	–	0	–	–
Japan	11	–	–	–	–	578	–
Jordan	3	–	–	–	–	–	–
Lithuania	–	–	–	–	–	–	7
North Korea	–	–	–	–	20	8	–
Malta	1	0	–	–	–	–	0
Mali	–	–	–	–	46	2	–
Morocco	4	–	–	–	–	–	0

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
New Zealand	194	–	0	–	0	–	–
Poland	–	–	1	10	4	3	–
Romania	–	–	–	1	1	–	–
Russia	–	–	48	–	–	–	–
South Korea	54	–	–	–	–	–	–
Sudan	–	–	–	1	–	–	–
Togo	–	–	–	–	67	21	–
Ukraine	9	–	–	–	–	–	–
USA	74	168	356	363	71	35	52
Vietnam	–	–	–	–	–	–	0
South Africa	–	–	–	–	–	0	–
Totals	372	269	413	379	269	673	68

Note: "0" means imports of less than 1 tonne.

Imports of Poultry – EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Belgium	134	179	165	639	3,132	2,000	2,682
Germany	93	142	192	382	295	656	2,120
Denmark	1,216	1,301	1,569	1,738	1,028	833	269
Spain	206	24	39	392	341	2	83
France	1,294	963	1,671	1,794	1,357	1,035	1,619
GB	5,496	7,346	10,013	12,288	13,047	9,951	9,383
Greece	–	1	190	–	10	–	–
Ireland	–	–	–	63	74	159	128
Italy	475	570	1,154	2,157	1,308	1,318	1,375
Netherlands	661	1,428	2,710	4,520	6,765	7,861	7,306
Portugal	–	–	–	1	20	–	–
Sweden	–	–	16	19	47	–	–
Northern Ireland	5,293	5,448	5,297	9,121	6,631	6,057	4,232
Totals	14,868	17,402	23,016	33,114	34,055	29,872	29,197

Imports of Poultry – Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	Tonnes	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Bangladesh	–	–	–	–	–	1,305	–
Bosnia and Herzegovina	–	–	–	–	–	283	–
Brazil	–	85	30	114	301	697	801
Ivory Coast	–	–	–	4	14	–	–
Chile	–	–	–	–	1	20	48
Czech Republic	–	–	–	–	–	0	2
Faroe Islands	–	–	–	–	0	–	–
Gabon	–	–	–	–	–	–	1
Hungary	–	–	–	1	21	40	85
Iceland	–	–	2	13	–	–	–
Israel	–	–	–	5	74	117	110
Japan	–	–	–	–	–	45	–
New Zealand	5	–	–	–	–	–	–
Niger	–	–	–	–	37	–	–
Nicaragua	–	–	–	–	8	–	208
Poland	–	–	–	58	–	–	40
Slovakia	–	–	11	–	–	–	–
Thailand	–	–	46	71	312	692	772
Totals	5	85	89	266	768	3,199	2,067

Note: "0" means imports of less than 1 tonne.