European Red Meat Sales Set For Boost

A much-increased level of sales for NI meat exported into Europe is being targeted.

Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced a new two-year campaign to accelerate red meat sales to Europe.

Invest Northern Ireland has put a structured programme of activities in place to expand sales of beef and lamb to retailers and foodservice customers in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Scandinavia by 2011.

The programme, which gets underway in November, includes the appointment of dedicated marketing advisers in each of the five markets to help pinpoint sales opportunities and convert these into firm business by arranging face-to-face meetings with key buyers and Northern Ireland processors.

Arlene Foster said: "This is an important and far reaching campaign for one of Northern Ireland's most significant and successful industries.

"The Invest NI campaign builds on the achievements of marketing activities in Europe over the past 18 months.

"These resulted in over £25 million worth of new business for the local meat industry and found a high level of interest in Northern Ireland products, particularly among such major retailers as Carrefour and foodservice businesses across all of the markets."

Meanwhile, in other related news, the National Beef Association has welcomed a European Commission move to probe the cost burden cross-compliance rules placed on farm businesses.

Officers are particularly pleased the Commission is worried that EU regulations may be hampering the ability of farmers to compete on the global market.

"Cross-compliance increases the cost of producing food within the UK and some of the requirements, particularly those associated with soil preservation on farms which out-winter cattle, are extremely onerous," explained Association Director, Kim Haywood.

"Farmers in third countries who export to the EU are not affected by cross-compliance rules except for specific food safety requirements such as residue provisions, like beef hormones, for animal products – unless they face similar restrictions from domestic legislation," continued Ms Haywood.

"We hope that this study will establish exactly just how much the additional cost burden faced by EU farmers through compulsory demands on production standards really is and then establish just how much this is hampering the EU's ability to produce more, much needed, food for itself."

(BMcC/KMcA)