Queries on imports of beef need answering

QUESTIONS need to be answered as to why Ireland imported nearly €129 million worth of beef last year, according to West Galway Fianna Fáil TD, Eamon Ó Cuív.

The scale of beef imports into the Republic of Ireland was revealed to Deputy Ó Cuív in a Dáil reply given to him last month by Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed.

In his reply, Minister Creed, gave the tonnage of imported beef into Ireland in 2019 as 30,570 tonnes to a total value of €128.83 million.

Beef imports into Ireland for the months of January and February, 2020, came to 4,282 tonnes equating to a total value of €19.07 million.

Deputy Ó Cuív said that it was his understanding that the bulk of this imported beef into Ireland was coming from Poland. “So, we need to know is this imported beef being processed in Irish meat plants,” he said.

He added that one of the real concerns among Irish farmers was whether the importing of this beef was taking place in an effort to depress the local market and price paid to Irish beef producers.

“We are a huge exporter of Irish beef which has a fantastic reputation all over the world. It’s worth billions of euro to our economy so where do these exports fit into the picture?” asked Deputy Ó Cuív.

According to the figures supplied in the Dáil reply by Minister Creed, in 2019, Ireland exported 528,220 tonnes of beef, valued at €2.348 billion.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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