A ban on the importation of Irish beef and sheep meat to six Middle Eastern countries has been lifted.
The ban by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar Kuwait and Bahrain had been in place since 2001, as a result of the outbreak of BSE and a similar sheep disease called Scrapie.
The Gulf States had been a valuable market for Irish farmers until then.
In 1999 beef worth €50 million was exported to the region, while in 2000 the trade was worth €48 million.
The reopening of the market has been welcomed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association and the Irish Farmers Association.
The move opens up markets of 43 million people to Irish sheep and cattle farmers, with the IFA estimating the beef trade could be worth in excess of €125 million in today’s terms.
