Meat Industry Ireland (MII) is working to increase the number of meat plants which are eligible to export Irish beef to South Korea.
The Ibec sector organisation representing the country’s main primary beef processing companies has welcomed confirmation that the market in the Asian country has opened for Irish beef.
South Korean authorities yesterday (Wednesday, May 15) communicated their approval to seven Irish processing plants to export beef there.
This followed an audit of these plants by officials from the Asian country last month.
South Korea
MII director Dale Crammond said that the opening of beef exports to South Korea has been a long-standing priority market for their members.
“This market will present opportunities for the industry over time, and it is fantastic that our world class beef products will be available to consumers in South Korea in the very near future.
“This achievement is realised on the back of very significant investment by MII beef processors over many years.
“My focus now is working with the department [of agriculture] to increase the number of eligible exporting plants to maximise this opportunity,” he said.
The seven currently approved plants are:
- ABP Clones in Co. Monaghan;
- ABP Cahir in Co. Tipperary;
- Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan;
- Kepak Clonee in Co. Meath;
- Slaney Foods in Bunclody, Co. Wexford;
- Dawn Meats in Grannagh, Co. Waterford;
- Dawn Meats in Charleville, Co. Cork.
Crammond also paid tribute to the work of Irish officials in securing this market access opportunity for Irish beef.
“I would also like to acknowledge the work of Bord Bia who have been preparing the ground so that members can exploit this opportunity on behalf of the entire beef sector,” he said.
Bord Bia has said that the Irish beef industry has “already formed ties” with importers and potential costumers in South Korea in advance of the formal approval.
Bord Bia is currently running an EU co-funded campaign to promote Irish beef and lamb in South Korea, Japan, China and the US.
The campaign is valued at €4.8 million over the three years 2022, 2023 and 2024.
A previous promotion campaign in South Korea, which has a population of around 50 million, saw Bord Bia engage with over 650 potential buyers of Irish agri-food.