While Irish farmers have welcomed getting access to Chinese markets, there is some frustration that it is limited to beef from cattle under 30 months.

This is one of the specification issues that is controversial in the Irish beef industry and one that has been subject to discussion in the recent beef negotiations.

In terms of getting access to a market, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed put it succinctly when he said that it was a requirement insisted on by the Chines authorities and it was a case of taking or leaving it.

The question has also been asked whether it is also a requirement for Brazil and other countries that are supplying beef to China. The short answer is no and the reason is that it is imposed on Ireland because it is a BSE legacy issue.

BSE risk categories

Due to our past history of BSE, Ireland is classified as a controlled BSE risk by OIE, the world organisation for animal health. This category is applied to a number of countries that have a BSE history, but it is considered to be under control and managed. Other members are the UK (excluding the North), Canada, Ecuador, Greece, Chinese Taipei and France.

All other major beef exporting nations, including Brazil, are classified as negligible BSE risk, a higher status. Ireland too had achieved negligible risk status in 2015, but lost it quickly when a BSE case was discovered in Co Louth.

Northern Ireland and Scotland also achieved negligible risk status, though Scotland, like Ireland, had a BSE case subsequently and reverted to controlled risk status again.

Basis for 30-month limit

There is a detailed analysis in the OIE’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code, but, basically, where a country is classified as a controlled BSE risk, greater controls are in place in terms of removal of parts of the animal linked to the brain.

Additionally, it is considered that even in controlled risk countries, the risk of BSE in cattle under 30 months is negligible, hence the tendency of non-EU countries to specify this age limit for countries in this category.

Of course, they don’t have to insist on this condition and, indeed, Japan removed the 30-month age limit as a condition of business earlier this year.

China may also choose to do so at some point in the future and Ireland should regain negligible BSE risk status in 2022 if we avoid any cases of BSE between now and then.

However, in the meantime, under 30 months is a condition of doing business in China and as it is a market that will impact Irish beef price, it is in farmers' interests to make sure cattle are eligible for that market.