Ireland is waiting to hear if it will regain access to the Russia pigmeat products market after reports of an easing of the European-wide ban.

Reports from Moscow this week suggest the Russian Federation had agreed to ease the ban, allowing France send live pigs and pigmeat products including fat, lard and offal. There were also reports that Russia would ease restrictions to Italy and Denmark.

Sources in the sector suggest there may not be much volume of pigmeat moving from France in the short term, with the easing of restrictions just being an agreement at first.

Russia enforced the ban on European pork and pigmeat in January 2014 following the discovery of African Swine Fever (ASF) in herds in Lithuania.

IFA pig committee chairman Pat O’Flaherty urged the Department of Agriculture here to do all it can to ensure Ireland regains access to the lucrative market.

“Pig producers are in a very negative situation currently as pig prices have fallen by 42c/kg since July 2014. If there is a possibility to resume trade of some pig products, Ireland, an island nation with no history of ASF, must be included. This must be a priority for the Minister and his Department officials,” O’Flaherty said.

In 2013, Ireland exported over 20,000t of pork and pigmeat products with a value of €55m to Russia.

Irish pig prices struggled for large parts of 2014, with processors identifying the Russian ban as being a major factor on the price pressure.