Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 December 2013
33. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the various visits undertaken since 2013, including the Japan visit, that have promoted Irish food and agricultural produce, agreements and developments to date in accessing those markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53143/13]
View answerIn the second half of 2013 I undertook trade promotion and inward investment visits to Switzerland, the United States, the Gulf States and Japan. These resulted in the following developments in access to these markets. Japan announced the opening of its market to Irish beef. This is a very prestigious market worth some €12 to €15 million annually. In regard to the United States, my trade visit was focused on Foreign Direct Investment and I had a number of meeting with key companies in this regard. Following intensive lobbying, the US published its BSE rule which is a first step in moving to opening the US market to exports of Irish beef. This is now being followed up at official level to ensure that Irish beef can be exported as soon as the market reopens in 2014.
My visit to the Gulf States of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates was also very productive with the following specific outcomes:
- The Irish Dairy Board announcement of a €20m investment in a Saudi Dairy company AL Wazeen which will result in the importation of significant volumes of Irish milk powders to Saudi and the production of approximately 20,000 t of a ‘white cheese’ specific to the region, using new technology developed by Teagasc;
- The opening of the Kerry Food and Ingredients development centre in UAE which will cater for the specific consumer demands and tastes in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkish markets;
- A €5m contract signed by Biotecter for water analysis equipment;
- A total of €2.3 million was spent in the recent Goffs’ sales following my trade mission which related to Qatari and UAE purchases of thoroughbred horses;
- Announcement of a joint race with the Jabel Ali Race course.
In addition, during the trade mission, a number of Irish suppliers obtained product listings in an additional leading retailer in UAE and Bord Bia announced the opening of new offices in Dubai to support Irish food companies exporting to the UAE. I also hosted a week-long incoming visit from the Vietnamese Minister for Agriculture during which we agreed to develop a Memorandum on cooperation that I hope will be signed in the near future and earlier this month the first meeting of the working group on beef market access with China took place in Beijing.
Of course my promotion of Irish agri-food exports did not just start in 2013. Arising from ongoing efforts, the opening of the following markets was secured in 2013:
- UAE opened for sheep-meat;
- Libya opened for livestock;
- Australia opened for pigmeat;
- Iran opened for beef;
- GCC ban lifted for beef and sheep-meat;
- Canada market opened for Sheep-meat;
- Japan opened for beef;
- China opened for Salmon.
