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Donegal beef company among first
to export to China
16.04.18
A DONEGAL company is
among just three in Ireland to be approved to export
beef into the lucrative Chinese market.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed announced that
Donegal Meat Processors in Carrigans is among three
companies for whom the Chinese market for frozen
boneless beef, opened this morning.
The other factories to be fully approved are the
Larry Goodman-owned ABP plant in Clones, Co Monaghan
and Slaney Meats in Co Wexford. The three are the
first European beef factories to be cleared for
Chinese exports.
It is expected that five other Irish factories will
be cleared in due course. They are Kepak Clonee, ABP
in Nenagh, Liffey Meats, Dawn Meats Charleville and
Kildare Chilling. China is the single largest food
market in the world. Donegal Meat Processors is part
of the Foyle Food Group. |
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Donegal Meat Processors welcome being
approved for Chinese market. |
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The company welcomed
the news on social media today, saying: "Woke up to
some brilliant news this morning. We are absolutely
delighted to announce that our Foyle Donegal site is
one of three Irish beef processors that have been
approved by the Chinese authorities and are the
first European beef processors to gain access to the
country! This approval gives us access to the
world's fastest growing beef market and the second
largest importer for the first time." |
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Donegal Meat Processors welcome being
approved for Chinese market. |
Mr Creed described the
process to get to today’s announcement as "slow and
complex" that went back some years.
“Our agri-food exports to China have increased
roughly five-fold from around €200 million in 2010
to nearly €1 billion last year. This has been a
remarkable achievement and underlines the importance
of the Chinese market," he said.
China and its almost 1.5 billion people, now
consumes a quarter of the world’s meat supply.
Frozen boneless beef, the Chinese market to which
Ireland now has access, has grown nine-fold within
the last five years. It now accounts for about 80%
of beef imports into China. |
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