DUBLIN: Minister Creed has announced that Ireland has gained market access to Iran for sheepmeat products.
An agreement has been reached which will open the Iranian market for imports of Irish sheepmeat, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed has announced. An agri-food trade mission to Iran took place in April, where negotiations between officials from Ireland and Iran occurred for market access for Irish sheepmeat products.
“It is also an issue which I raised directly in bilateral meetings with the Iranian Ambassador to Ireland, his excellency Mr Javad Kachoueian. I am delighted to see yet another market open for Irish meat products,” Minister Creed said on Friday.
After Egypt, Iran is the second-largest consumer market in the Middle East and North Africa, with around 80m consumers. The Department has said that economic growth there is expected to intensify following the recent easing of economic sanctions.
Irish beef gained market access to Iran four years ago and overall Irish food and drinks exports to Iran last year totalled €3.6m.
Last year, Ireland exported 46,000t of sheepmeat worth over €230m to 40 countries, with around 7.5% of sheepmeat exports going to non-EU countries.
