SOME 23 Irish companies are in Cologne today at the world’s largest food fair, Anuga.
Bord Bia is organising and co-ordinating the Irish presence at the biennial event, which attracts more than 6,700 exhibitors from 95 countries and 164,000 trade visitors from 174 countries.
Ireland’s food and drink exports to Germany in 2010 were valued at €398 million, representing a 30 per cent year on year increase.
All sectors preformed strongly, with Irish beef exports more than doubling last year and dairy exports increasing by 55 per cent.
The main exports were dairy, where Kerrygold is the market leader; alcoholic beverages (Baileys, Tullamore Dew, Kilbeggan, Jameson); and meat.
Export growth is expected to continue in 2011, with export levels for January to May showing an increase of 37.5 per cent, or €52 million, compared with the corresponding period last year.
Aidan Cotter, chief executive of Bord Bia, said it had undertaken a major pre-event trade marketing and awareness campaign to promote the Irish industry’s presence at the event, including targeting more than 1,000 key influential buyers to visit the Ireland stand.
Michael Carey, the recently appointed chairman of Bord Bia, welcomed the Irish industry’s strong presence at the event.
“Figures for the first half of 2011 mark a further shift in the distribution of Irish food and drink exports with some 35 per cent now destined for Continental European markets,” he said.
“Although the UK will continue to be Ireland’s principal export destination, other euro zone markets, including Germany, which is performing strongly with double-digit growth, offer the prospect of new opportunities for Irish exporters.”
Ireland’s food and drink exports are expected to reach a new all-time high of €8.9 billion in 2011, a rise of more than 12 per cent or almost €1 billion, on 2010 levels.
Increased volumes of dairy products, pigmeat, whiskey, cider, confectionery, sauces/soups and mushrooms are also boosting revenues. It is estimated volume growth in these areas will account for up to 30 per cent of the total.
* Five new non-executive bord members of Bord Bia were announced on Friday night by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. They were Gary Brown, chief executive of Below the Line Marketing; Michael Cronin, former chairman of the Irish Dairy Board; Rhona Holland, marketing director of global intelligence, PepsiCo; John Kingston, beef and dairy farmer; and Brody Sweeney, food entrepreneur.