Dive Brief:
- The U.S. is lifting a ban on beef imports from Ireland after more than 15 years.
- The move offers tremendous opportunities for Ireland: the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of beef, and prices here hit record highs last year.
- The ban was implemented after an epidemic of mad cow disease swept across Europe. A similar ban on English imports may be lifted later this year.
Dive Insight:
The biggest winners here, besides Irish cattle ranchers, are American consumers of grass-fed beef. Ireland is home to a large number of pasture-raised cattle, and it's likely that import from Ireland will ease some of the supply pressures on that market segment.
