Skip to main content
Normal View

Food Exports to China

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 March 2018

Thursday, 8 March 2018

Questions (427, 428)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

427. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on getting access for Irish meat products such as beef, lamb and pigmeat to China; the remaining stages in the approval process outstanding; and the approximate timetable for all stages to be completed and full access granted. [11234/18]

View answer

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

428. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeline for finalising a veterinary health certificate with AQSIQ to get Irish beef access to China; when an inspection visit by the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration to approve individual processing plants for export will take place in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11235/18]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together.

My Department has made significant progress towards securing market access for Irish beef in recent years including the lifting of the BSE ban by Chinese authorities in 2015 and a successful AQSIQ inspection visit in 2016. I signed a protocol on the export of beef from Ireland to China with the AQSIQ Minister Zhi Shuping in Dublin in April 2017. At the end of last year my Department received a copy of the draft Report of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) inspection which had taken place in August/September 2017 to assess individual processing plants.  In early 2018, my Department responded to the draft report clarifying a number of issues and is now awaiting a response from CNCA. A draft veterinary health certificate has also been submitted to the Chinese Authorities. There is no CNCA inspection scheduled for 2018. I understand that Ireland is now in the final stages of the market access process for beef. However, it should be noted that the timelines are not within the control of my Department.

In terms of pigmeat access, Ireland has had market access to China for over 10 years. China has developed into a major market for Irish pigmeat, and for the past several years it has been the second-most important market for Irish pigmeat worldwide, behind only the UK. Ireland exported over €100 million of pigmeat, or around 65,000 tonnes, to China in 2017.

For sheepmeat, my Department has previously made contact with the Chinese authorities in relation to opening market access and submitted a questionnaire on animal health risk factors for Irish sheepmeat products in 2014. However, my officials were informed that AQSIQ would consider only one species application at a time, and the process for beef access was already underway.

Top
Share