Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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595. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a detailed breakdown of the economic demographics of those persons who consume Irish beef and dairy products internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19424/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Irish agri-food exports have increased from less than €8 billion in 2010 to an estimated €10.8 billion in 2015. At a strategic level, Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025 acknowledged that there is a rising global population together with the growing middle classes in a number of rapidly growing economies and changing dietary patterns to incorporate increased protein consumption. Taken together these provide a great opportunity for increasing the exports of high quality, safe and sustainably produced Irish beef and dairy production. The target in Food Wise 2025 is to increase the overall value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion by 2025.

Although there is not a detailed breakdown available of the economic demographics of consumers of Irish beef and dairy, the Department continually monitors trade statistics produced by Bord Bia and the CSO, in order to analyse the destination of exports and, together with industry, to identify new opportunities. I am very conscious of the importance of growing international markets as a valuable outlet for Irish beef and dairy production and very significant progress has been made in this context. This has been recognised in Food Wise 2025.

The main markets for Irish beef and dairy products are in developed countries and developing countries with high levels of GDP growth. According to Bord Bia, in 2015 some 52% of Irish beef exports went to the UK, 36% to other EU markets and the balance to US, Middle East, Hong Kong and Switzerland with some beef, generally more affordable cuts and offals, being exported to developing markets.

Dairy exports have in general a wider spread of exports with just under 60% of exports going to the UK and other EU markets, 19% to Asia, 4% to Africa and 8% both to North America and the Middle East according to Bord Bia. Generally infant formula and powders are the product categories driving dairy exports in developing markets. Dairy exports to China were almost 10 times higher in 2015 than 10 years ago and exports of dairy powders are growing to markets in West Africa with high levels of GDP growth.