Irish beef exports to Germany have recovered dramatically during the past year after a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s and exporters are approaching the German market with renewed energy, according to the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Mr Ned O'Keeffe.

"We are again targeting the German market and we would hope that we can expand and grow the beef business here again. We pride ourselves on the safety and quality of our meat. Irish beef is as safe as you can get," he said.

Mr O'Keeffe was speaking during a two-day visit to Berlin, where he is attending the opening today of the 65th Green Week - Europe's biggest food and drink fair. The event is aimed primarily at consumers and half a million visitors are expected to attend it during the coming week.

Guinness and Murphys will be present. An Bord Bia is promoting a range of Irish products in a "food village". Irish exporters sold almost 7,000 tonnes of beef to Germany last year, two and a half times the level two years ago. But there is still a long way to go before exports reach the level they were at before the BSE crisis, when Germany imported 20,000 tonnes of Irish beef each year.