LIVE cattle exports to Egypt will resume shortly. It emerged here last night following a day of intense political lobbying by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates.
The trade was worth more than £65 million last year and at its highest, in 1994, £200 million. The ending of it last December, because of BSE, contributed to a drop in cattle prices to a 20 year low.
Mr Yates made the announcement at the Cairo residence of the Irish Ambassador, Mr Hugh Swift where a large Irish contingent here for a food fair greeted the news with cheers.
The Minister had a half hour meeting with the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, and the Prime Minister, Mr Kamal Ganzouri, in Luxor yesterday morning.
He then flew back to Cairo where he met the deputy Prime Minister, Dr Yousef Wali, and the Minister for Trade and Supply. Mr Ahmed Gueily.
He told Irish farm leaders and exporters who had travelled to Cairo to lobby the Egyptians that agreement had been reached.
Egypt, he said, will replace its ban, imposed last January, with a prohibition on female animals and bulls and all animals over 30 months old. This will allow normal trading to resume.
"It is now just a matter of dotting the i's and crossing the t's. It is not if the ban, but when the ban, will be lifted," he said.
The Minister said he could not specify when the trade might be resumed, but he hoped ships would start sailing again in June or July, when the ban was due for review.
Mr Yates said it had been clear from his meeting with Mr Mubarak that the political will existed to have the ban removed.
He and the President had spent 30 minutes together and Mr Yates had delivered a letter from the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, inviting Mr Mubarak and the Prime Minister to Ireland.
The Taoiseach's letter, be added had pledged Ireland's support in helping secure peace in Palestine using its UN and European Union contacts.
The letter had also pledged help in getting Egyptian exports access to the EU through a new trade deal for rice, fruit and vegetables.
Mr Yates said he will be asking Bord Bia to examine an Egyptian request for Irish joint venture business deals in the beef trade. He said the Egyptians hoped to use Irish expertise in both production and processing.
The IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, welcomed the announcement last night and said that from his meetings with Egyptian importers, there was a huge demand for Irish cattle and the market had potential to take up to 250,000 head worth £150 million annually.
Mr Donnelly, who also met Dr Wali, said the Egyptians preferred Irish cattle.