Vol. 564 No. 3
115 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the markets likely to have the greatest potential for increased Irish meat exports and his efforts to date in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9426/03]
With consumption in EU markets now recovering following the last BSE crisis there is potential for Irish beef exports to those markets to continue to increase. The UK market in particular as a destination for Irish beef has seen huge growth during the past two years and is likely to remain strong this year also. Last year, for example, exports to the UK amounted to some 250,000 tonnes. Markets in France, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden also remain strong. After the UK, Russia is the most important market for Irish beef having taken some 83,000 tonnes in 2002. At this stage it is anticipated that exports there in 2003 will continue to perform strongly. The Egyptian market, which re-opened in late 2001, is a destination of considerable potential for Irish beef and has taken very high volumes in the past. The Gulf states also offer considerable potential and enormous efforts are being made to lift the bans which currently apply there. As part of these efforts, my Department, working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and An Bord Bia, hosted a con ference on food safety and consumer protection in the beef sector in Dublin last October. The conference was aimed specifically at important markets in the Gulf region. It was attended by experts from the Gulf Co-operation Council's food safety committee, representing Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and it afforded visiting experts from Gulf states the opportunity to assess the level and effectiveness of Ireland's BSE controls. Reaction to the conference was very positive. We maintain ongoing contact with the South African, Philippines and Indonesian authorities at technical and diplomatic level with a view to having those markets reopened to Irish beef. Furthermore, in 2002, my Department hosted veterinary delegations from South Africa and the Philippines aimed at demonstrating the efficiency of our BSE controls. We are following up on these potential markets for Irish beef.
