John Deasy
Ceist:55 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of beef exports to Egypt between January 1998 and September 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20679/02]
Written Answers. - Beef Exports.
Beef exports to Egypt from January 1998 to September 2002 were as follows:
|
Year |
Tonnes (Carcase Weight Equivalent) |
|
1998 |
120,000 |
|
1999 |
157,000 |
|
2000 |
114,000 |
|
2001 |
0 |
|
2002 |
65 |
Egypt, which had been Ireland's most important export market for beef, imposed a ban on European beef imports following the BSE crisis in mainland Europe late in 2000. Intensive efforts since then at Government level politically, diplomatically and technically resulted in the Egyptian authorities reopening their market to Irish beef imports in October 2001. The decision by the Egyptian authorities to lift the ban on Irish beef imports was a welcome development for the Irish cattle and beef sectors. The recent introduction of a special export refund rate of up to 30% above the normal level should help Irish exporters regain a strong presence on this important and traditional market for Irish beef.