Ireland: Beef export value to China is money farmers cannot afford to lose

The money from Irish beef exports to China is “money that the Irish farmers and Irish beef sector cannot afford to lose”, according to one TD. Cork Southwest independent TD Michael Collins was speaking in the Dáil when he called on the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to ensure that the government takes all steps necessary to prevent a repeat of the long-term ban on Irish beef from entering the Chinese market such as occurred in May 2020. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed on Tuesday (November 7) that beef exports to China are currently suspended after tests confirmed a case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). The animal in question was a 10-and-a-half-year-old cow and was identified during the department’s on-going systematic surveillance of fallen animals at knackeries. Advertisement The animal did not enter the food or feed chain and there are no public health risks associated with this case. Despite that, beef exports from Ireland to China ...