Paul Connaughton
Ceist:208 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the help, if any, Bord Bia has given to the promotion of the Connemara lamb; and his views on the export potential for good quality hill lambs. [2725/99]
Written Answers - Sheepmeat Promotion.
Last autumn, Bord Bia held promotions of mountain lamb in both Ireland and Spain. These promotions emphasised the overall qualify of all mountain lamb, and were held in response to market conditions and changes in the structure of export markets. The objective was to increase the profile of the product by emphasising its unique and different taste. Promotions in Spain were undertaken with a major retailer, while the Irish promotional activities were conducted with fifty selected restaurants through the chefs guild, Eurotoques.
In terms of export potential, it should be noted that there was substantial progress in export markets for hill lambs up to 1996, but since then, there has been evidence of structural change in target markets. Bord Bia continues to monitor the situation very closely to ensure that every opportunity is availed of to promote and maximise the sale of this product. Appropriate promotional activities continue to be a feature of Bord Bia's programme and are included in its 1999 programme.