The BSE crisis which has crippled the beef industry in Europe is having little or no impact on one group of Irish farmers who have been specialising in producing beef for the Italian market.
The farmers are in what is known as the "KK Club" and for the last three years have been producing beef after raising cattle on a special diet devised by a Co Carlow-based company, Brian Keenan and Company Ltd.
The beef, which is processed by the Kepak group, is sold directly into supermarkets in Italy where it is brand marketed and receives a premium price from the importers.
According to Mr Mark Simpson, Keenan's marketing manager, the main problem facing the club members is that they cannot produce enough beef to match the demand from Italy.
"When the BSE crisis broke in Italy there was a little bit of hesitation but then, because we produce and process beef to the highest specifications, there was no cutback," he said.
"In fact demand for KK beef from Ireland in Italy now exceeds demand and that is an unusual situation in the midst of a marketing crisis all over Europe," he said.
Mr Gerry Siggins, who advises the farmers on the production of the beef, explained that the Italians prefer paler-coloured beef than do other Europeans.
"That can be achieved by a feeding regime involving mainly grain, and by using younger animals than most beef farmers use and these farmers tend to use more continental breeds of cattle," he said.
"The aim is to have the animals ready for the market at 16 and 18 months old and for the last 50 or 60 days to put them on a specially formulated grain-based feed to deliver the colour and quality of beef required," he said.
"The system demands the highest possible husbandry so that the animals can be traced back to their farms and we also insist that the feed does not contain any genetically modified grain," he said.
"The farmers benefit because we work on an agreed price which is fixed from September to June and the farmers involved in the scheme receive 12p to 14p per lb for the premium grade and 8p or so more for the top grades than other beef farmers," he said.
He said that the scheme ensured continuity of supply to the factory of a top-quality product which had helped secure sales in Italy of 25,000 to 30,000 animals a year.
The system also covers the welfare and treatment of the animals.
One of the farmer members of the club is Baltinglass, Co Wicklow-based Mr Eamon Kelly, who produces animals for the scheme from his herd of 110 beef-producing cows.
"I went into the scheme about three years ago and I am very glad I did because of what is happening now in the markets," he said.
"Most of the animals I produce are Limousin cattle but I have a small number of Belgian Blue bulls on the farm at the present time, " he said.
"It is, of course, more expensive to finish the cattle off at such an early age because of the diet but there is a reward for that in the price," he said.