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SIMON COVENEY IS on his way to China, hoping that by the time he returns, he’ll have converted more of the population to Kerrygold and other Irish delights.
The Agriculture Minister is leading 37 companies on a major trade mission to five of the country’s major cities.
The firms are hoping to tap into the world’s second largest economy, gaining access to the 1.3 billion population.
The Cork TD hopes to make progress in getting access to the market for Irish beef, as well as promote seafood and dairy products.
“China has a strong demand for imports of quality food, given the size of its population and concerns over food security and safety and Ireland is strategically placed to be a key supplier of quality meats, dairy products, beverages, seafood and other products and services to China/Hong Kong,” Coveney said.
In the first six months of the year, Ireland has exported €405 million in dairy, meats, beverages, seafood and hides and skins to China.
That marks a €105 million jump on last year’s figure, a leap that the Minister has described as “tremendous”.
Irish beef products have been banned in China since the BSE outbreak in 2000. Progress has been made with talks over the past two years, and further steps are expected this week.
“We have made good progress in that time and I will again be seeking substantive progress the issue in my meetings with Chinese political counterparts next week,” Coveney said in a statement.
“Securing access for Irish lamb will also take a major step forward next week when I will be formally submitting a completed technical dossier for consideration by the Chinese authorities which is the key first step in securing access. I will also be pursuing access for poultry products and asking the Chinese authorities to give consideration to progressing this dossier.”
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I cut turf for the first time this year on a unused family bog. Cost me €400 for 8 hoppers and I reckon I now have enough fuel for two years ! Because I have a stove and back boiler I have saved just over €2k by not needing to buy coal and possibly another €2k in home heating oil (based on two years)
And yet the government want to force these costs onto turf cutters? Typical. How can they compensate for that amount of costs?
They won’t,they need to bow down to there paymasters,America,China huge polluters but were only a little spec on the map and we will do what the eu. Say
Agree, no matter what we do in Ireland to cut air pollutants , it wont make 1 difference, when China is going for broke.
Cut your turf as us Irish have done for thousands of years. I love nature and wildlife but native traditions need to be taken into account.
€50 a hopper?! I hope they were big ass hoppers dude
Their, we’re and speck actually.
Thanks.
Listen, the govt will find you out if you’re doing anything to save money and screw you somehow. Of course turf cutting is harmless but how else are they going to tax you?
Must be the the first time I agree with jack arse but if the chinese and the indians are still digging up coal whats wrong with a bit of turf?
The turf cutting ban has nothing to do with fossil fuels / global warming – its about preservation of an endangered habitat.
@Peter
If cutting was being done “as it has for thousands of years” there wouldn’t be a problem, but wholesale mechanised destruction has only been happening for a couple of generations.
@ Peter Ryan… How is cutting turf with a hopper a native tradition?
Jimmy has forgotten where he has come from. Finuge (Listowel) and the surrounding areas are steeped in the traditions of turf cutting and we all remember days spent in the bog. Jimmy has forgotten those who have put him in the Dail for nearly 30 years. He has forgotten his responsibility to his neighbours and the people of North Kerry and to those who are dependent on saving turf. He disgusts me as he has proven that power corrupts the mind and has institutionalised his beliefs. When given an opportunity to help North Kerry he has run from the fight. Those qualities that made him a teak tough corner back have sadly been lacking in his joke of a political career. Keep rolling over Jimmy. Yours Sincerely, a fellow North Kerry man.
At least he isnt doing a Healy-rae job. ie – feck the country, shure the lads in whest kerry think drink driving is grand.
Why is he still a TD then? confused!
Bord Na Mona has stated it had one of the best years ever,but the devistation that largescale commercial harvesting of peat that they have visited on the landscape has to be seen to be believed,as far the eye can see a complete barren wasteland with nowhere for the water runoff to go,politicians have allowed this never to be replaced resource to be exploited to the point of exaustion and yet the damage is there for all to see,at least our plundered fisheries can with proper management be restored in years to come,but our bogs take many thousands of years to regenerate,like the countrys debt,we just roll over and let the next generation worry about it.
Spelling on here is just brutal e.g. ‘devistating’ and ‘exaustion’ in previous post. Difficult to take a point seriously when it reads like a six year old’s spelling mistakes
Apologies there Michael,written in haste im afraid with a few on board,exhaustion and devastation,now thats better.
I know the feeling
Im all on preserving this beautiful country we have and helping to not pollute but everytime this issue comes i cant help thinking “in the grand scheme of things, let them cut their turf and do some REAL work on climate change”…this is a joke and a waste of tax payers money
This isn’t to do with climate change
Now that would be an ecumenical matter!
“Government failed to detect 45% of big cutting activity this year” would have been a better headline.
Or … “Bog cutters, now with 45% more add sneakiness”
Ah, don’t give a sod about the gov’t……where do you find these places to cut turf??
Bogs, you idiot.
Now, now tiger, Stephen no need for name calling….I happen to live in Chicago where we don’t have turf and certainly don’t gave bogs. Have never seen one in Ireland either,….pecker
Can anyone explain whats the difference between a raised bog and an ordinary bog?
Why is one protected and the other is not?
Because either way it’s just turf that’s on it.
Google is your friend…
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