John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

117. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the number and type of trade promotion events he has participated in since his appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25107/25]

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Will the Minister give us the details of the number and the type of trade promotion events that he has participated in since his appointment? Will he make a statement on the matter?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a really important point around trade and trade promotion, which has become so pronounced in the lexicon of everybody and much more in the focus of everyone who pays even a cursory glance at what happens in agriculture. When other countries talk about tariffs and changes to our trade flow, it probably brings a focus in this country from people who do not always recognise that we export 90% of the food and drink we produce. It is highly sought after at home and abroad. Any interruptions to that trade have impacts. Given our dependence on the agrifood sector in regard to exports, trade and market diversification, it is a key priority for my Department and myself.

Food Vision 2030, the shared strategy for the agrifood sector, reflects the importance of diversifying and developing new markets and new market segments for Irish food and drink products in the UK, the EU and wider international markets. Food Vision has a goal to increase the value of exports of sustainably produced high quality Irish food and beverages globally. Agrifood export value reached a record €19.26 billion in 2024. Bord Bia, a State body funded by my Department, is dedicated to promoting Ireland's outstanding food, drink and horticulture produce around the world. Its activities include participation in the food exhibitions and trade shows, digital campaigns, retail and restaurant promotions and various other trade promotions and events including campaigns around Saint Patrick's Day global events. Bord Bia also hosts inward buyer visits on an ongoing basis and meetings with key international companies.

In April, I led a visit to the US in collaboration with Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland. During this visit, which included Washington DC, Kentucky and Chicago, I participated in 11 promotion events as well as key political meetings with senior US political representatives, including my counterpart, Brooke Rollins, the secretary of the US Department of Agriculture. I can also highlight some of my other responses in supplementary.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister. I met with agriculture students and teachers at Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, LOETB, at the Intro to Ag initiative in recent days. I have also met with producers and farmers. It is clear that they are extremely proud of the high regard for Irish produce across the world. However, there is also a level of innovation today within this sector is best in class. It is important that we ensure it remains best in class.

Our success in this sector did not come about by accident. It came about through strategic planning, investment and branding, marketing and promotion. We need to reassure the sector that that will continue long into the future. I recognise the work of Bord Bia in what it has done to make that materialise over a number of years.

I see three strands on which we need to focus. Promoting Irish produce overseas is certainly one of them. We need to see how we can further assist food producers. We also need to encourage Irish supermarkets to stock more Irish produce where possible.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising those points. Trade and trade promotion has many different facets, as the Deputy outlined. In terms of the political meetings I had about trade when abroad, reassuring people about our quality assurance scheme, a nationally backed quality assurance scheme that has our farmers, our food companies all together pulling towards the one set of standards that are independently verified, is hugely appreciated and very much recognised internationally.

Next month I will travel to Japan and South Korea. I will attend the Seoul Foods Expo, which is the fourth largest food exhibition in Asia, as well as World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Planning is also under way for a significant trade mission by my Department and myself to China in late autumn. We will have trade receptions in London and Paris as well. On all of those occasions we put the best foot of Ireland forward and tell that story of what our farmers are producing, the traceability, the safety and sustainability credentials. We will continue to tell that story because trade is such a key part and so important for our farmers and their incomes.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

While other speakers made reference to the threat of TB, there is also the threat of trade tariffs. We need to remove the barriers in our control, one example of which is alcohol labelling.

We need to look at growing our existing markets as well. France and Germany have similar populations, yet we export three times the produce to Germany that we do to France. I have to question why that is the case. What are the barriers or challenges to achieving the same penetration in the French market as in Germany? As the Minister said, there is a huge opportunity in Canada, India and the Far East and we have to look at materialising that further.

I mentioned supermarkets. A register should be introduced to determine the percentage of Irish produce, European produce and rest of world produce on our shelves so that we are ensuring full transparency for Irish produce on supermarket shelves.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is another supplementary question.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I support the Deputy on that. At the end of the day we have to get Irish produce into supermarkets. We have to get it exported everywhere around the world. I attended the agrifood regulator inaugural conference today in the Johnstown Court Hotel in County Meath. It was an excellent event and it certainly showed us that we have to look after the farmers and that the primary producer has to get fair play. I know the Minister met the regulator's officials the other evening and I spoke to Joe Healy about that. They need to get proper teeth but they also need big resources. They need to have the people there to be able to do the research to find out what is going on and be able to bring transparency into the system. That is vital.

The other point is that internationally our trade is under threat because of this new tariff regime that is coming in from the US. It is creating huge uncertainty in markets all over the world. We need to recognise that. We will have to have our front foot forward to deal with that.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

That front foot forward is exactly what I am doing in leading my Department. It is why I was in the US for a series of political meetings at Capitol Hill over a couple of days and meetings with other key clients and customers across the US. It is why I will travel to Asia next month. I continue to take those opportunities to tell the story of the innovation that Deputy Clendennen referenced in our food system. Deputy Kenny just highlighted the point I was going to make on the domestic market and our supermarkets and retailers. The agrifood regulator is doing important work in that regard in bringing that transparency piece while also making sure that unfair trading practices are not happening. Since we established the office, it has had a lot of success. I am very supportive of that. I am keen to make sure the officials are equipped to do the job they need to do in providing transparency. It is important for the relationship across the supply chain from our primary producers, our farmers through to our processors and the retail element that we have that equilibrium.

I work closely with my colleagues, including the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, on expanding elements of the markets we are in already. They are just as important as new markets and there are sometimes original contacts that make it easier. We continue to work on all those new opportunities, for example, the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley's work with Seafood Expo and others.