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Minister Coveney welcomes the opening of the South African market to Irish Sheepmeat
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today welcomed the agreement which has been reached with the veterinary authorities in South Africa which will allow for the exportation of sheepmeat from Ireland to South Africa.
The Minister explained that this agreement was reached following consultations between his Department, the Irish Embassy in South Africa and the South African authorities and was a reflection of the strong rapport and trust between the agricultural and veterinary authorities of both countries. He added that this agreement means that Ireland now has access to the very valuable South African market for all meats, i.e. beef, pork, poultrymeat and sheepmeat, which should provide Irish exporters with increased market opportunities.
The Minister said that “
while the vast bulk of our sheepmeat is exported to the EU, there is increasing interest amongst the industry in exporting Irish sheepmeat to non-EU countries. South Africa has been highlighted as a priority market and I am delighted that this target market is now open to our exporters”. The Minister reiterated his commitment to obtaining increased global market access opportunities for Irish meat and meat products and said that he and Department would continue to work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Bord Bia to this end.
ENDS