January 18, 2007

Ireland hopes to resume beef exports to Saudi Arabia

Ireland might be able to resume EUR50 (US$64.81 million) million-a-year beef exports to Saudi Arabia.

In their recent meeting to forge strategic alliances and strengthen economic ties, Irish agriculture and food minister Mary Coughlan discussed the issue with the Saudi counterpart Dr Fahad Balghonaim.

Coughlan sought to reassure the Saudi authorities that Irish beef was of top quality as it went through a rigorous quality control regime.

Saudi Arabia reacted positively to the Irish argument for lifting the ban, maintained Coughlan. She however, said no date had been set for exports to resume.

Irish and European beef sales to the kingdom were banned due to BSE concerns. In Dec 2000, at the time of ban, Irish exports to the kingdom were worth around EUR 50 million a year. Today, they are worth EUR 1.4 billion, with almost half of this being exported to markets outside Europe.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that Ireland has pinned hopes on resuming trade with the kingdom. In 2004, the Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Turki al-Faisal asserted the ban would be lifted soon.