Irish beef exports to the US have increased 10-fold since June, according to Minster for Agriculture Simon Coveney.

At an event to promote Irish food in Chicago this week, Mr Coveney said almost 330 tonnes of beef had been shipped to the US since the ban was lifted in January.

While this marks a step up on the 31 tonnes exported as of the end of June, it is still well short of Mr Coveney’s prediction that the US could take up to 20,000 tonnes of beef, worth €50 million-€100 million, this year.

Ireland remains the only EU state to be granted access to the US market since the BSE-inspired embargo of the late 1990s.

A Department of Agriculture spokeswoman said the 330-tonne figure represented the volume of exports to the US until this week.

“ This higher figure reflects the fact that the first plants were only approved in February and in reality only two were exporting up to June. The addition of two new plants in May and June added to the existing plants increasing their exports has resulted in this significantly increased figure,” she said.

Currently, five Irish processing plants have been granted US export licences.