Exchange rates now make the Eurozone, potentially, very attractive for local beef and lamb processers. However, Livestock and Meat Commission chief executive, David Rutledge (pictured), is also conscious of the downturn in consumer spending power throughout Europe and beyond, given the ongoing credit crunch.
"So it will be interesting to see which of these two conflicting trends wins out at the end of the day," he told Farming Life.
"The good news is that Northern Ireland is punching above its weight at SIAL. Our stand reflects the excellent beef and lamb produced in the province. What's more, our location couldn't be better. The exhibitions mounted by the European, South American and Australian redmeat industries are all within a very short walking distance of the Northern Ireland pavilion.
"The event will be used by the four local processers in attendance to meet and greet existing customers and to make new business contacts. SIAL Paris is the largest food exhibition taking place in the world this year, so it makes sense for Northern Ireland's redmeat industry to be well represented at the event.
"Hopes are high that the local beef and sheep sectors will have an excellent week in terms of profiling all that is good about the livestock produced in Northern Ireland. We will know in about a month or so how successful our endeavours have been. By that stage we should be able to quantify the impact made by the processing businesses taking part this year.''
SIAL takes in 30 hectares of exhibition space and well over 160,000 visitors are expected over the coming days. With the beef ban now a thing of the past it is now generally recognised that the event represents the perfect shop window for Northern Ireland's beef and sheep sectors.
Significantly, this year's exhibition is taking place against the backdrop of falling beef prices here at home. Local producers are hoping this is only a temporary blip as they fill their sheds with very expensive store animals.