Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects the beef export industry to remain competitive in European or world markets in the future with particular reference to the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40050/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total value and volume of beef imported and exported in each of the past five years to date in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40052/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 238 together.

The tables detail the volume and value of beef imports and exports since 2007.

Irish beef imports

Irish beef exports

As is set out in the table for exports beef accounted for around €1.5 billion of approximately €7.9 billion of food exports in 2010, and the live cattle trade, which reached almost 140,000 head for the year, was worth an additional €183m. Beef exports in 2011 are expected to grow by 9% to upwards of €1.7 billion for the year. In the first six months of 2011, exports of fresh and frozen beef from Ireland increased 4% as demand from outside the EU boosted shipments.

The shift in the dynamics of the global beef market has resulted in a substantial convergence between EU and world beef prices and I am satisfied that this will create new and significant opportunities for the Irish beef industry over the next five years.