Northern Ireland will be the first European Union region to do beef business in Canada following the finalisation of certification protocols and procedures between the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) veterinary service and Canadian authorities.

Canada announced the end of its import ban on EU beef at the end of 2013 but that just enabled the beginning of the process to secure commercial approval. That required agreement of protocols and procedures by the veterinary service of the exporting state and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that at least one Northern Ireland company is actively pursuing the Canadian market at present.

As is the case with the US, the Canadian market is not as lucrative as it was a year ago, but for an exporting region like Northern Ireland, all new markets are welcome options.

Following the success our own Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has had with opening export markets in recent years, being the first EU region into Canada represents a considerable coup for his Northern Ireland counterpart Michelle O’Neill.

Here, the Department of Agriculture has received applications for approval to export to Canada from a number of Irish plants and is currently in the process of approving these applications with a view to submitting this approved list to the Canadian authorities in the very near future.