DECLINING BEEF production in other European countries is expected to result in an increased demand for Irish beef.
Beef production among other major European producers,including the UK and Germany, is set to decline by 7 per cent over the next few years, while Irish beef production is expected to grow, according to Bord Bia.
These medium-term conditions will “create a more positive environment to further consolidate the market position of Irish beef in Europe, which now accounts for virtually all of our exports,” said Dan Browne, Bord Bia chairman.
He was speaking at the Anuga food and drink trade fair in Cologne, Germany, in which 11 Irish meat companies were taking part alongside competitors from Brazil and Argentina.
Bord Bia does not expect an increase in non-EU beef imports. Production in the main South American beef-exporting countries is expected to fall by 10 per cent over the next three years.
However, the value of EU beef sales has slowed down considerably this year “due to a combination of lower volumes, particularly at food service level, and a switch to cheaper cuts by consumers and food service operators”, said Aidan Cotter, chief executive of Bord Bia.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Food Trevor Sargent said he would be “reminding the Government of the important work that Bord Bia does, and how critical it is given our dependence on the food and drink sector”.
The McCarthy report has proposed transferring Bord Bia into the Department of Agriculture, with its expert promotion functions given to Enterprise Ireland.
Mr Sargent said in Cologne yesterday it was a bit “premature” to talk about the report. “I think we need to be positioning ourselves for economic recovery by acknowledging the strengths we have.”