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Value of Irish food and drink exports nearly €10 billion in 2013

Exports for dairy products and ingredients brought in the most money, followed by beef exports.

THE VALUE OF Irish food and drink exports continues to grow – and approached a record €10 billion for the first time in 2013.

That’s according to new figures released by Bord Bia today, which show that the figure represents an increase of 9 per cent on the previous year and 40 per cent in the last four years.

Revenues are almost €3 billion higher than in 2009.

Popular products

While export values for dairy product and ingredients exceeded €3 billion for the first time, there were also strong performances for meat and livestock (€3.3billion) and prepared foods (€1.65 billion).

The Christmas Tree Growers Association estimated that 250,000 of the 650,000 trees harvested were exported in 2013, with an estimated export value of €5.5 million.

There were strong mushroom exports, a decline in seafood exports, but an increased shipment of whiskey and mineral waters.

The strongest performing categories of prepared foods included fat-filled milk powders, cooked meats, pizza, sauces, bakery and confectionary.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD said “This leading performance in what was a challenging year for the industry, highlights the key role of agri-food, Ireland’s largest indigenous sector, in underpinning exports and economic activity.”

Key markets

The largest export destination for Irish food and drink remains the UK,  with 42 per cent of exports worth an estimated €4.1 billion reaching that market in 2013.

Meanwhile, exports of food and drink to other EU markets increased by 11 per cent in 2013 reaching €3.2 billion.

There were also strong exports to Asia, and to a lesser extent Russia, said Bord Bia, which contributed toward an increase of 6 per cent in the value of trade to international markets – this exceeded €2.6 billion in the period.

Exports to China grew by over 40 per cent, with values trebling over the last three years to reach €390 million in 2013.

China is now Ireland’s sixth largest market overall, with strong dairy and pork exports contributing to this, and seafood and beverage exports also growing.

Bord Bia said that eventual access to the beef market will further broaden the industry’s presence in China, and the inclusion of hide exports from the beef industry would bring the market’s value overall for the sector to €432 million.

Bord Bia said that the market environment for Irish food and drink remains “positive” for the year ahead.

Industry

A Bord Bia industry survey showed that exporters remain positive about prospects for their business.

Some 75 per cent of exporters expect their export sales to grow in 2014. Next year, Bord Bia will continue to take part in trade exhibitions, including Gulfood in Dubai.

It will also roll out its Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme to provide a uniform mechanism of recording, monitoring and improving the sustainability of Irish dairying at farm level.

This coincides with Bord Bia’s plans to invest almost €3.5million during the year in a new  marketing campaign, under the Origin Green banner, to promote Ireland as a source of world-class sustainably produced food and drink.

Read: Japan ends 12-year-ban and reopens its market to Irish beef>

Read: SuperValu to become first retailer to trace its bacon by DNA>

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24 Comments
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    Mute Fergal Reid
    Favourite Fergal Reid
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:49 AM

    If we could establish a reputation in China for Irish food as a luxury “brand”, this whole country could retire early. We *have* to get in there.

    29
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    Mute Mitch Connor
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:58 AM

    Already being done.

    The Chinese have this odd habit of contaminating their own product with lead & arsenic & the like.

    European dairy is seen as desirable.

    16
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    Mute Dee4
    Favourite Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:00 AM

    theyd be very disappointed if they came here and saw how the average Irish person eats and shops. Go to France where you see real connection between food and culture. Maybe Ireland can capture the Chinese frozen pizza market?

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:39 AM

    They’d be awed by the average meat consumption and quite jealous.

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:57 AM

    @Fergal, then the US will in on that scale, they will be able to enjoy the height of US food production, Baconnaise!

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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:01 AM

    Baconnaise… Jesus. You’ve really got to hand it to the Yanks. That’s disgusting and brilliant in equal measure.

    4
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    Mute Dermot Fennelly
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    Jan 8th 2014, 8:51 AM

    The goose that laid the golden (agriculture)

    11
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    Mute Dermot Fennelly
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    Jan 8th 2014, 8:52 AM

    “Egg”

    8
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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:31 AM

    We export quality food, import crap and eat crap.

    11
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    Mute Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:59 AM

    youve just got the new branding label for the quangocrats in Bord Bia

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    Mute Matt
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:36 AM

    You can’t afford to buy Irish food. So they say on here.

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:49 PM

    Your normal chirpy self Stephen

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:00 AM

    It could be alot more than this if we pulled the finger out.

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    Mute Mitch Connor
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:06 AM

    Explain how?

    13
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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:34 AM

    Great performance,now if only we were to reduce our imports of food products,much of which could be produced here, that amounted to 60% of our food consumed here last year to 30%, we could provide a massive boost to employment in the food sector and make a major dent in the dole numbers.

    9
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    Mute Drew
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    Jan 8th 2014, 11:23 AM

    Not true… Why waste the energy growing things like tomatoes for domestic consumption in heated greenhouses and other crops with lower yields and masses of fertilizer here when we can trade with sunny Mediterranean countries and in turn offer our abundance of dairy products.

    12
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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:29 PM

    You mention tomatoes,i grew them last year in a small glass porch attached to the house,i had such a large crop i did’nt know what else to do with them only give them away for free,yet my local supermarket had nothing but spanish or dutch tomatoes,its only one example,but there are many others.

    3
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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:28 AM

    How the hell are we able to export christmas trees when they cost €50 to €65 to buy here?? Seems like madness!

    8
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    Mute Mitch Connor
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:59 AM

    If other markets will pay, what’s the harm?

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Jan 8th 2014, 10:17 AM

    None at all Mitch, I just can’t understand how we can sell them locally at such a price and there still be a market for them abroad including shipping etc. but like you said if there’s demand for them then we might as well exploit it!

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jan 8th 2014, 9:27 AM

    the flip side is, look how much taxpayers money they get, which is well over a thousand euro for anyone paying PAYE per year.

    http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/publications/2012/FactSheetIrishAgriculture150113.pdf

    Total public expenditure on the agri-food sector by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the
    Marine was approximately €2.8 billion in 2011. DAFF payments in 2011 totalled €2.1 billion,
    including Single Farm Payment, Rural Development, Structural and Forestry payments.

    5
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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 8th 2014, 1:52 PM

    there’s always a flip side isn’t there Dee……..If you look hard enough you can always find something to have a moan about. For Flip sake

    4
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