The Government was accused yesterday of failing to adopt "a more imaginative approach" to reopen the £100 million live cattle trade with Egypt. Fine Gael has said the failure to resolve differences since a political commitment was made by Egypt in June to allow shipments to resume was increasing the risk that Ireland would be outflanked by other major cattle exporters, particularly Argentina and Australia.
An Irish Farmers' Association delegation, led by its president, Mr John Donnelly, is to meet officials of the Egyptian embassy later today in Dublin to press for a resumption.
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association claimed that, following a recent visit by an Irish veterinary delegation to Egypt, the only remaining obstacles were political ones.
The Department of Agriculture has rejected a demand to build a £5 million beef-processing plant in Egypt. But the chairman of Fine Gael Agriculture Committee, Mr Paul Connaughton TD, has said the Government could not afford to lose the market, "the most important live cattle outlet for Ireland over the next three to four years". Egypt, he said, was the gateway to trade with Arab countries, such as Libya and Iran. It was also a means to "beating Third World constraints" under the GATT agreement.
Mr Connaughton said he favoured some "after-sales service". It could be justified in the same way the IDA invested in new factories for a jobs return. "A more imaginative way has to be found. The Minister must also bring to Egypt an inclusive delegation including vets, the Irish Ambassador to Egypt, exporters and, if necessary, representatives of the Department of Finance."
He said time was running out, with the peak cattle kill season about to begin.
An IFA spokesman said: "The political decision has been made on reopening the market. It's now only a matter of resolving technical matters. This should be resolved quickly."
He said the Minister, Mr Walsh, had to take personal control of the process. "The Government has to deliver on its promise before the election (to secure the market)."
A spokesman for the Department said Ireland was not in danger of losing its role as "traditional supplier" to Egypt and was in no danger of being outflanked. "While we are currently out of the market for live cattle, our exports of beef (to Egypt) are up substantially on last year. Already this year we have exported 30,000 tonnes of frozen beef, compared to 34,000 tonnes in full in 1996. We will continue to push for reopening of the live trade."
It is believed the Government is prepared to offer some technical assistance. This includes suction equipment used to remove specified risk material (which may be subject to BSE infection) from cattle and incineration equipment to destroy it.
