Pictured is the group on the farm of Ivor Deverell outside Tullamore, Offaly.
A group of Russian and Kazakh livestock importers and farmers are in Ireland this week as part of visit organised by Bord Bia. The group of some 15 delegates is looking to develop trade links for Irish bovine semen and genetic technologies. Despite the ongoing Russian ban on the importation of many agricultural and food products from the EU, this potential trade link falls outside the scope of the existing ban.
The Russian and Kazakh delegates began their itinerary at the Tullamore Show on Sunday and are due to visit farms in Offaly and Roscommon before venturing to Cork where they will be taken to a genetics company. The group will then meet with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Enterprise Ireland, to finish up what should be a very insightful trip.
The visit was funded by Ireland/Russia Joint Economic Commission (JEC), following a successful bid for funding by the Bord Bia office in Mosco. The JEC aims to advance Ireland’s economic interests with JEC partner countries.
A second project, which has recently been approved by the JEC, will see a national stand hosting Irish agricultural companies at Golden Autumn, Russia’s largest agricultural fair, later this year. This will allow Bord Bia to raise Ireland’s agricultural profile in Russia, whilst also providing an opportunity to develop business relations in live cattle and pigs and semen as well as agricultural machinery and animal nutrition.