Fourteen industry leaders from the Chinese meat industry have visited Dawn Meats' Carroll's Cross plant in Waterford to learn about the Irish beef industry, following news that China's ban on Irish beef imports is to be lifted.
The Chinese delegation forms part of a total of 400 buyers from over 30 countries taking part in Bord Bia's Marketplace 2015, a business development event to introduce them to Irish food and drink companies.
Dawn Meats joined the Minister of Agriculture's trade mission to China in November of last year, which played a role in opening the market to Irish beef producers.
The volume of beef imported by China quadrupled to 280,000 tonnes in 2013, and is expected to reach 1.7m tonnes in 2018.
Niall Browne, Chief Executive of Dawn Meats commented on the potential opportunities in China, saying, "The expected level of Chinese beef imports in 2018 is over three times total Irish production. In a country where pork and poultry have in the past dominated meat consumption, the recent dramatic increase in demand for beef is a sign of the opportunity for Ireland."
CEO of Bord Bia, Aidan Cotter added, "This visit to Dawn Meats' facility is a great way of showing our Chinese visitors the high standards of quality and safety to which Irish producers operate."
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
