The South African decision to reopen its markets to Irish beef exports offers significant opportunities in coming years, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.
Prior to the import ban in 2000, imposed because of South African concerns about BSE, Ireland sold €57 million worth of beef into the country.
"Beef is Ireland's oldest traded product and still our single most important food export. Last year we exported €1.5 billion worth of beef raised on Europe's most fertile pastures," said Mr Ahern.
The beef, he told South African importers gathered at a seminar organised by Bord Bia, was processed and sourced by safety rules "that lead the very best in the world".
Neither the European Commission nor any individual EU state had ever put any restrictions on Irish meat exports during the BSE crisis.
"The decision of the South African ministry of agriculture to allow the resumption of Irish beef exports earlier this year was, therefore, both timely and welcome," Mr Ahern told the importers.
The Department of Agriculture and Food sees the South African reopening decision "as a significantly important outlet", pointing out that Irish beef companies were keen to get back in.
"From both its individual market perspective and the message it sends regarding the safety of Ireland's beef, the reopening decision represents a very important step," said the department.
The Government attempted for several years to get the ban lifted, but a visit by South African inspectors in 2002 "came to no firm conclusion and the ban remained in place".
Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan wrote to her South African counterpart last year offering another inspection tour as BSE cases continued to fall.
The inspectors gave a positive verdict after they travelled in April, and the South African government gave the all-clear in October, subject to veterinary certification which has now been done.
The bulk of Irish beef exports, in sharp contrast to a decade ago, now goes to EU countries, but markets such as South Africa remain important.
"While the current strong performance of the euro will reduce the attractiveness of markets outside the EU, the price of beef is on the increase in South Africa and the market will develop," said the Department of Agriculture and Food.
Last year Ireland had just 25 cases of BSE, compared with 41 in 2006, 69 in 2005 and 126 in 2004.
Speaking later at an Enterprise Ireland lunch, Mr Ahern said South Africa would be "the powerhouse" for developing mobile telecommunications throughout sub-Saharan Africa in years to come.
Meanwhile, a Dublin recruitment firm, SAON, announced yesterday that it was to take over one of South Africa's biggest jobs websites, currently advertising 15,000 jobs per month.
Also yesterday, Swords-based software firm In1 Solutions sold technology that will be used by hotels and B&Bs to take accommodation orders during the World Cup.
