The US has approved the sale of beef from Ireland for the first time in almost 16 years, a move that comes after easing a ban on European beef imports which have been in place since the BSE crisis in the late 1990s.
Ireland is said to be the first European country to be granted full access in the US beef market.
Commenting on the approval, Ireland Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said: "This U.S. market is a huge prize given its size and the demand we know exists there for premium grass-fed beef.
"We now have first-mover advantage as a result of being the first E.U. member state to gain entry. There is also the large Irish-American community, which will be a key target of our promotional efforts."
The US authorities had imposed the ban on European imports in the late 1990s citing health fears during an epidemic that led to mass culling of cattle herds, New York Times reported.
European beef production facilities and systems have been encouraged to pass all audits and inspections in order to secure access to the US market.
The Irish government expects the US approval might also open other foreign markets.
Image: European beef production facilities and systems have been insisted to pass all audits and inspections in order to secure access to the US market. Photo: courtesy of Mister GC / freedigitalphotos.net.
