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Food Imports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2013

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Questions (181, 186)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

181. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of beef, poultry, lamb and other meat products that were imported into Ireland in 2008, 2009, 2010; 2011, and 2012; if he will also indicate the reason for these levels of imports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7695/13]

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Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

186. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason, in a country that produces an abundance of excellent beef, we are importing beef from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7751/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 186 together.

It is assumed that the Deputies are referring to goods originating outside Ireland whether as a result of trade within the EU single market or imports sourced from non-EU countries. In either case, the importation of meat and meat products into Ireland is a function of supply and demand dynamics, both locally and generally, and is influenced by factors which are variable over time such as price relativities, currency exchange rates and consumer preferences.

The statistics show that Ireland is a major meat trader and also a significant beneficiary of free trade in food products, with total meat and livestock exports generating estimated earnings of almost €3 billion in 2012.

Data on volume imports of various meats from 2008 to 2012 is presented hereunder.

Meat Imports – Tonnes (000’s) cwe

Category

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

(Jan. – Nov.)

Beef

33

34

40

46

36

Pigmeat

76

74

73

79

75

Poultrymeat

76

75

80

86

91

Sheepmeat

3

4

3

3

3

Other Meat Products

15

12

13

12

11

Source: CSO

Beef

Around 36,000 tonnes of beef were imported into Ireland last year with over 28,000 tonnes (79%) came from UK; of which almost 26,000 tonnes (72%) was from Great Britain and over 2,700 tonnes (7+%) from Northern Ireland. The majority of these imports from the UK consisted of cow carcasses for further processing before being re-exported as primal joints. Brazil, Uruguay and the USA are the principal non-EU suppliers of beef into Ireland. Processors import beef from a range of countries in order to produce specific products for the export market at particular price points.

It is also worth pointing out that import figures are relatively small when compared to the quantity of beef exports. For example in 2012, Ireland exported over 412,000 tonnes of beef – virtually all of it to other EU member states – which was nearly 12 times as much as it imported.

Pigmeat

In 2012, almost 75,000 tonnes of pigmeat was imported into Ireland. Around 29,000 tonnes (38%) of imports came from the UK with 4 other member states – Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands – cumulatively accounting for some 39,000 tonnes (52%) of volume. Pigmeat imports are destined for secondary processors, wholesale and foodservice operators. Ireland has an import requirement for loin and leg primal because domestic consumers’ preference for loin (pork chops, bacon, rashers) and leg (cooked ham, gammons) differs from that in other European countries where more processed meats are preferred. The price differential between Irish and imported loins is approximately 20%. There is little difference in the price of indigenous versus imported legs but supply is an issue.

Poultrymeat

Ireland imports significant volumes of poultrymeat annually; namely broiler, turkey and duck. Broiler meat in the form of chicken breast meat (frozen / chilled / cooked) comes principally from Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Germany and also international markets such as Thailand and Brazil. The product is used for wholesale, foodservice and further manufacturing. Turkey breast meat and crowns are imported mainly from Italy and Germany for cooked meats manufacturing and for catering / foodservice outlets. Whole turkeys, imported from Italy for the Christmas period, are supplied through the wholesale and butcher sectors. Typical cost differentials for imported versus domestic chicken and turkey can amount to as much as 30%.

Sheepmeat

Of the 3,467 tonnes of sheepmeat imported into the Irish market last year, almost 3,300 tonnes (94%) came from the UK. Imports, which peaked during the February to June period, were mainly British hoggets destined for food manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, foodservice. Imports from non-EU countries, primarily frozen product from New Zealand, were negligible at 83 tonnes. At present, Irish lamb commands a strong position in the domestic retail sector. The use of the Bord Bia Quality logo on-pack is growing in popularity since its launch on lamb in 2008. According to Bord Bia retail store audits, the percentage of facings of lamb product with the Quality Mark has risen from 55% to 84% in the 2 years from December 2010.

Other Meat Products

Products in this miscellaneous category, which includes offal, are imported mainly from the UK (47%) and the Netherlands (23%).

Conclusion

Ireland is a small, open economy that is hugely dependant on international trade flows in products and services. The above data demonstrate the extent to which the beef and other meat industries are reliant on trade with our EU partners and, by extension, the importance of that trade to the national economy.

Question No. 182 answered with Question No. 179.
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