MID-Ulster could be in line for another jobs boost after it was announced that Dunbia and Karro have been approved to export pork to China.
The industry has said that the move could be worth £10million to the Northern Ireland economy, while Karro have said that, in time, there will be more jobs to cope with the additional exports.
Additional work still needs to be done to both factories before final approval can be given.
Karro, for example, have invested £400,000 in building new changing rooms for each section of the slaughter line, and a separate packing area for the product destined for China.
The Chinese government’s provisional approval, granted after a long inspection process, means authorised plants can soon sell heads, trotters, stomachs, hearts and bones.
Chinese officials visited abattoirs in Northern Ireland as part of the inspection process while Agriculture Minister, and Mid-Ulster MLA, Michelle O’Neill, visited China several times as part of the approval process.
The announcement that Northern Ireland pork has been provisionally approved for export to China has been hugely welcomed by Dunbia.
The Company’s Deputy Chief Executive, Tony O’Neill, said: “This immensely significant breakthrough for Northern Ireland pork in the world’s biggest marketplace should pave the way for pig producers here to access the extensive opportunities there.”
Seamus Carr, chief executive of Karro Food Group, said approval for direct access to China would have a “significant impact” on the business, giving it a potential increase in turnover of about 10%.
He said he hoped to pass some of the extra profit back to farmers.
Welcoming the announcement as a step forward and a boost to the local agri-food industry, the Agriculture Minister said: “I am delighted that China’s certification agency, the CNCA has announced its intention to approve plants to export pork subject to them completing some remedial actions identified as part of their audit earlier this year.
“My officials are working closely with the two pork processors to ensure this work is progressed expeditiously and to a very high standard.”
Enterprise Minister, Jonathan Bell, said the announcement “is further proof that our food companies are beginning to gain traction in the market and this should significantly boost our economy in the near future”.
Chair of the Assembly Enterprise Committee and SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone, said the news was a “most welcome development and a credit to the entrepreneurship of the Karro Food Group and Dunbia”.
He added: “The ripple effects of this agreement for our agriculture and agri-foods sector will be considerable and will also pay dividend for our rural communities particularly in East Tyrone. I hope this is something that can be expanded in the future.”
Ivor Ferguson, Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, commended all those involved in the hard work.
He said: “These new export opportunities represent a major boost to the local pork industry. They are particularly welcome when volatility caused by a number of factors, but mainly the Russian import ban, has hit prices.”
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