THE Irish Food Board moved last night to reassure producers that the Moscow authorities are not about to impose a ban on all beef from the EU, as reported.
A Bord Bia spokesman said its Moscow executives had checked with the authorities there about reported remarks by the deputy mayor. It emerged that these had been misinterpreted.
Mr Eoghan Brooks, the board's most senior official in Moscow, confirmed last night there was no ban and there had been no intention to ban EU beef. The problem arose because of a misinterpretation of what had been said about a reduced beef intake from the EU because of BSE.
Mr Gerry Kiely, who is the official spokesman for Mr Franz Fischler, the EU Agriculture Commissioner, said the reports that the mayor of Moscow was considering a total ban on EU beef were in wide circulation last week.
The reports had sent a chill through the beef industry, as Russia is Ireland's largest customer for beef and took £260 million worth of product last year.
The Russian authorities have just concluded a protocol with Ireland to take almost 100,000 tonnes of beef, but it specified that it would not take beef from Cos Cork, Tipperary, Monaghan, Cavan, Wexford, Limerick, Meath and Donegal because of the increase in BSE cases.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, said during the week that the Russians will review their beef contract with Ireland in May and use the May 1996 May 1997 figures of BSE infection on which to base their judgment.
On Friday the Department announced 11 new cases of the disease had been detected in Irish herds in January. This brings to 200 the total number of cases detected in the Republic since 1989.
It was learned yesterday that a fresh diplomatic initiative is to be undertaken by the Government in Egypt and the EU, seeking the removal of the ban on the import of live cattle from Ireland to Egypt.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, held a series of meetings with the farm organisations, live shippers and other interested parties in Kerry at the weekend on how to resolve the ban.
The Egyptian authorities imposed a ban on live cattle from Ireland because of the rising incidence of BSE cases here, when the reported number of cases increased from 16 in 1995 to 74 last year.
The ban has hit trade worth over £80 million in 1996 and was unilaterally imposed shortly before Christmas.
An IFA statement said last night it had a positive meeting with Mr Spring, who had promised to make key contacts with his Egyptian counterparts.
It added that the Tanaiste had also agreed to make high level representations to the European Commission negotiators in the trade talks set to take place in Brussels next week involving Egypt and the EU.
Mr Spring told the various delegations he met in Tralee that the preliminary response from the Egyptian veterinary delegation which had recently visited Ireland was quite positive.
He also promised that the full resources of the Department of Foreign Affairs would continue to be used to have the markets reopened as soon as possible.
An Bord Bia announced a major increase in beef exports to Sweden at the weekend.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed reports that it is investigating the attempted importation of 20 tonnes of beef from Britain last week. Fears have been expressed that attempts were being made to relabel the meat as Irish to circumvent a worldwide ban on beef exports from Britain.
A Department spokesman said it was satisfied the control systems in place on the Border to prevent such importations were working.