Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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97. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects new markets to open up markets for all Irish food and food products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34851/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The opening of new markets for Irish food and food products is of critical importance to the ongoing development of the agrifood sector in this country, and will play an important role in helping to achieve the sustainable growth targets in the Food Wise 2025 industry development strategy.

Agrifood exports to non-EU markets grew to a record €3.1 billion in 2014, an increase of 15% over 2013, with particularly strong growth in exports to Asia (+36%) and the Gulf States (+39%).Non-EU markets accounted for 28% of total Irish agrifood exports last year, with significant potential for further growth. These new markets, with growing middle class populations and increasing levels of disposable income, will provide significant growth opportunities for Ireland’s agrifood and drinks sectors in the coming years.

Since my appointment as Minister, I have led several successful trade missions to facilitate trade promotion and market access to markets outside the EU, including to the United States, China, the Gulf States and Algeria. These visits provided the numerous Irish companies who accompanied me with an opportunity to increase their profile in new markets and build upon existing trade relationships . My visits to China and the US were also instrumental in helping to re-open these valuable markets to Irish beef.

To date this year, I have:

- led successful trade mission s to the US in February and Septemberto launch beef access to this very valuable market;

- welcomed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Agriculture Minister Han Changfu on a farm visit in Mayo, which proved an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the best of Irish farming to the Chinese Government and the Chinese media;

- hosted meetings with Ministers and high level delegations from several non-EU countries.

I am presently finalising plans to lead trade missions to Vietnam and China, and also to West Africa, before the end of this year. These are key markets which have been identified by Irish exporters as being of major strategic importance. The West Africa mission in particular will offer Irish food companies an opportunity to showcase their produce to a large and emerging market outside of our more traditional destinations.