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Large crowds funnelled through the doors of SIAL on Monday, where 27 Irish companies displayed their wares among the 7,000 exhibitors, establishing and communicating with important international contacts.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed briefed the press in the morning before embarking on a tour of the Irish stands.
Questions on the situation back home were unavoidable - Bord Bia had referred to sustainability countless times in its press presentation, yet the current farmgate beef price was unsustainable for the producer.
Minister Creed said that beef farmers needed to embrace new technologies like their dairying counterparts and that the BDGP would be a “game changer” in terms of improving efficiency. He also pointed toward the movement to establish beef producer groups as another plus for farmers.
Developing markets
In terms of new markets, Creed said that just one hurdle, regarding veterinary and traceability standards, needed clearing before access to the Chinese market would be achieved.
“What’s promising about the Chinese market is that there is a demand for beef cuts and products that we find harder to shift closer to home,” said the Minister.
Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter acknowledged that the mood among the Irish beef exhibitors in the meat hall was somewhat cagey in the wake of the Brexit vote.
“Business is done for many reasons – price is one. Our processors have built strong relationships with their UK counterparts and produce a top-quality, safe, trustworthy product. Our companies are strong and I am confident that they can hold their ground. Trade fairs like this help to forge new relationships – I notice a lot of Asian buyers speaking to businesses at our Origin Green village,” Cotter said.
The Bord Bia Origin Green stand at SIAL.
SIAL – on the ground
While France remains Ireland’s largest Eurozone export market for food and drink, when quizzed by the Irish Farmers Journal, Irish exhibitors were quick to dispel the notion that they would solely be talking to French customers.
“We’ve been exhibiting at SIAL since the mid-1980s. While France is important to us, particularly for seasonal cuts like ribs, places like Hong Kong are big offal destinations for us – we’ll be talking to them too,” said Peter McMahon, sales director at Ashbourne Meats.
Rory Fanning from Slaney Foods reiterated the point: “SIAL truly is a global event.”
Both of the delegates conceded that the current currency fluctuations were limiting their ability to generate returns from beef in the UK.
Northern Ireland and Scotland
Meanwhile, exhibitors from Northern Ireland said that the same fluctuations were increasing their competitiveness at present, but uncertainty clouded the future.
“At the minute, Brexit is making us more competitive in Europe,” said David Campbell, key account manager with the Foyle Food Group, “it’s purely based on currency, but we expect this to remain the case for the coming months.”
Around 160,000 visitors are expected to attend SIAL this year. It runs from 17 to 20 October. See this week’s Irish Farmers Journal for more from SIAL.
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