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The Irish trade mission to China stepped up a gear on Wednesday as Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed led a delegation around the milk processing facilities of major dairy processing giant Sanyuan near Beijing.
Sanyuan is the state-owned dairy processing facility that was involved in the melamine scandal which rocked the Chinese dairy world.
The Sanyuan dairy processing facility is only a part of the overall CAG Group which has interests in chickens, cattle breeding, Chinese property, Chinese transport and much more. CAG turnover is over $15bn US dollars.
Delegates on the trade mission were treated to a whistle-stop tour around the facility where liquid milk and yoghurt production was in full swing. Michael Cantwell from Enterprise Ireland chaired a meeting in Sanyuan Foods, with representatives from Ornua, Glanbia, Dairygold, Aurivo, Dairymaster, Teagasc and Bord Bia all addressing the Chinese officials.
Dairygold and Teagasc Moorepark signed an MOU with Sanyuan, which could lead to further collaboration in the future and potentially increased trade.
Negotiating access for Irish beef into the Chinese market
In the afternoon, Creed met officials from the Chinese quarantine inspection service in Beijing as part of the next step in negotiating access for Irish beef into the Chinese market. During the meeting, the Chinese committed to fast-tracking the completion of a report on inspections they carried out last January.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Creed said: “On beef, the process of approval is complex and involves a number of the Chinese services. However, I am particularly encouraged that the Chinese officials have undertaken to ensure they will move fast on Irish access for beef to China and complete a report on inspections made last January.”
All the leading meat processors in Ireland were represented in China this week as the trade mission made its way from Vietnam to China and down to Singapore.
Pork, chicken, and seafood are all ahead of beef in the pecking order of choice for the Chinese consumer, but Bord Bia analysis has shown a segment of the Chinese market will be willing to pay a premium for beef from Ireland.
Comment from Bord Bia
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal in Beijing, Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter said: “Ireland’s good reputation in China is gaining traction thanks to the success of our dairy and pigmeat exports. Irish pigmeat exports for the first five months of 2016 have increased by 16% to 108,000t compared to the corresponding period in 2015.
Minister Creed made a strong case for access to China for Irish beef today and our consumer insight team believe Chinese consumers are prepared to pay a premium for quality beef.”
In other trade mission news, Keenan’s and Alltech also signed memorandums of understanding with Chinese companies in an effort to increase their trade in China and build on existing links.
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