Negotiations to preserve the £250 million beef trade with Russia began in earnest yesterday with the arrival of a senior delegation of political and veterinary officials who will remain here for four days. The delegation, led by the Russian Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr Scherbak, and the chief veterinary officer, Dr Avilov, met the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, yesterday morning.
The Department and the industry will be attempting to reduce the restrictions imposed on beef exports from Ireland imposed last January when, because of rising BSE figures, the Russians imposed an eight-county ban on Irish imports.
Locked out of the Russian market were Cos Monaghan, Donegal, Cavan, Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Meath and Wexford. Despite this ban nearly 100,000 tonnes of Irish beef went to Russia worth an estimated £250 million.
The protocol covering this agreement was due to run out last May. However, the Russians continued to take beef from Ireland, although the number of shipments dropped in recent months.
Now the industry will be attempting to persuade the Russians they should remove their ban because the rate of BSE infection has fallen since the beginning of the year.
Last year the number of cases almost tripled, and by the end of the year there were 74 cases of the disease. So far this year there have been 48 cases, and the authorities will attempt to persuade the delegation that Irish beef is safe.
Over the next few days the Russians will inspect the controls in place and will also meet Bord Bia and Bord Bainne officials who are anxious that the trade resume.
It was learned last night that the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, has applied for a visa to visit Egypt in a fortnight, where he will attempt to speed up the opening of the live cattle trade with that country.
The former minister for agriculture, Mr Ivan Yates, visited Egypt to seek a reopening of the live trade last May. He announced on polling day that an agreement in principle had been reached with the Egyptian authorities to resume shipments.
Last Friday the EU Beef Management Committee agreed to purchase 3,400 tonnes of Irish beef into intervention over the next fortnight.
This agreement will take more than 10,000 bullocks off the market.