Extra beef plants for China sales

THREE more beef plants have been approved for Chinese market.

Speaking following the news chairperson of the ICMSA Livestock Committee, Des Morrison, said while he welcomed the news it is vital the development of the Chinese market resulted in a speedy and marked improvement in beef prices or else the whole project would be no more than a marketing exercise.

Mr Morrison said that farmers were happy to recognise the skill and dedication of Ireland’s negotiators and the energy being brought to the problem of sourcing and winning new markets to offset the threat to the traditional British markets. But he said that too often new markets had been opened up with any benefits accruing seeming to flow exclusively to the exporting factories and no improvement in the prices paid to the people who actually produced the beef.

Mr Morrison said that the actual benefit of the work done in opening-up the Chinese market would, and should, only be judged in light of the positive results it brought to the farmers - not overall trade statistics.