Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

76. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects the beef industry to benefit from the recently re-opened market in the United States of America over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7235/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The recent announcement of Irish beef gaining re-admittance to the US market was the result of significant political, technical and diplomatic efforts by my Department, Bord Bia and Irish Embassy in Washington DC. It was a collaborative effort which has borne fruit, with Ireland being the first European country to regain access to the biggest beef market in the world.

The US beef market is potentially lucrative, with consumption at 11 million metric tonnes annually, which makes this new market such an exciting one for Irish producers. While grass fed is a small volume category compared to conventional or grain fed beef, currently accounting for approximately 10% of total volume, it is estimated to be growing at approximately 20%+ per annum. Consumers in this segment of the market will be a key target in the marketing efforts to promote Irish beef.

Last week I visited the US to launch the arrival of Irish beef there and hosted launch events in New York, Washington and Boston. All of the major Irish beef exporters that accompanied me reported strong interest from US buyers and distributors, which I am sure will lead to further collaboration in the future. I also had the opportunity to meet with many buyers and distributors and it was clear the superior taste and quality of Irish beef allied to the sustainability of its production clearly resonated with the US audience.

In addition, last week Bord Bia unveiled their marketing strategy for Irish beef in the US having been actively preparing the groundwork for market entry. Having this first-mover advantage as the first and only EU MS to achieve access to date is significant. One of the key announcements last week was the launch of a dedicated website highlighting the qualities of Irish beef to US beef consumers and buyers.

Currently just 2% of Irish beef exports go outside the EU each year and further diversifying the available markets has been a key element of my strategy for the beef sector for some time. This is a key element in ensuring more sustainable returns to beef farmers and ensuring that an over-reliance on particular markets does not harm the long term prospects of the sector. I am very confident that the opening of the US market is a major step forward in ensuring the long term viability of the beef sector.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

77. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of new beef markets identified, or deemed suitable, for further development, excluding the recently re-opened beef market in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7236/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

2014 was undoubtedly a very challenging year for the beef sector but despite the difficult market environment, the value of overall beef exports rose slightly to €2.27 billion. The volume of beef available for export was approximately 530,000 tonnes whilst average prices fell by around 11%. The volume of beef destined for the UK (up 9%), Continental Europe (especially Italy, Scandinavia and Germany) (up 17%), and international markets (up 10%) increased in 2014.

In so far as exports to third country markets have been concerned, I have been very active in building and expanding relationships in potential markets in order to raise the profile of Ireland and build the kind of confidence in Irish production and control systems that provide a platform for long-term trading relationships in the future. In the last year, I have lead trade and political missions to China and the US as these have been identified as key priority markets. I was delighted to be in the US last week to launch the arrival of Irish beef for the first time there in 16 years and I can report very strong interest from US buyers and distributors in Irish beef.

In the last year agreements have been reached with Japan, Lebanon, Philippines, Namibia and New Caledonia for the export of Irish beef. Work is currently ongoing with Korea, and significant progress has been made on securing market access to the Chinese market. My Department continues to engage with industry and Bord Bia to identify markets which may present market opportunities and be lucrative for Irish beef and will pursue these opportunities as a priority.