Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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160. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he has engaged in overseas visits to promote food exports at various locations globally; the result of such promotions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41717/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The pursuit and development of new markets for Irish agri-food exports is of course an ongoing and central component of the strategic development of the agri-food sector, as evidenced by its placement right at the centre of Food Wise 2025, the industry’s strategy for development over the coming decade. Indeed, this is all the more relevant after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, which presents significant new challenges for the agri-food sector in particular. 

Food Wise 2025 outlines the huge potential for growth in agri-food exports to new and emerging markets, particularly in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Gulf region. This is where our efforts will be focused for the foreseeable future, particularly given the need to diversify our markets and to reduce our reliance on traditional destinations such as the UK.  

In keeping with the priorities outlined in Food Wise 2025, there has been an increasing focus in recent years on the use of Trade Missions to create and develop export opportunities for the Irish agri-food sector. Taking the last two years by way of example, I first of all led a very successful Trade Mission in February 2017 to the Gulf Region. This covered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This was followed by an extensive Trade Mission to the US and Mexico in June. Both markets offer many aspects that are very attractive to Irish exporters. The US is the largest food and beverage market in the world and has a population of 324 million people. Around 35 million Americans also claim Irish ancestry. Mexico has a population of 127 million, making it the eleventh-largest country in the world in population terms and the fifteenth-largest economy in the world, with projections that it will move into the top five by 2050.

During a trade mission to Japan and South Korea in November 2017 I was accompanied by 40 representatives of the Irish food sector, as well as by experts from my Department, the CEO of Bord Bia and senior representatives from Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc.

This was a very opportune time to bring a delegation of Ireland’s food leaders to this part of the world, given that the EU has concluded a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea as well as agreeing an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan. Japan and South Korea are markets of high potential for beef, pigmeat and sheepmeat exports, and so it is important that we raise the profile of Irish agri-food enterprises that already have access to these markets, and make progress in negotiating access for others.

This work has continued in 2018. I have already led trade missions to the US, Canada and China, and my Department is currently making the final arrangements for a further trade mission to Indonesia and Malaysia at the end of October. Again this will include participants from across the agri-food sector and will feature extensive trade contacts as well as high-level political discussions.  Both of these markets have been identified by my Department as offering huge potential to the Irish agri-food sector.

These and the other missions that my Department are planning for the first half of 2019 will serve to enhance and improve our existing levels of market access in these destinations.  It will also promote Ireland’s reputation as a producer of high quality, safe and sustainably produced meat and dairy products. The destinations are also in keeping with the recent market prioritisation exercise that was completed by Bord Bia at my request. This exercise identified opportunities in new and more mature markets, and will provide valuable market intelligence both for industry operators and policy makers.

It is also no coincidence that the destinations that we have recently visited and plan to visit are now some of the countries showing the greatest increase in growth, with the value of exports to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central/South America standing at almost €2.8 billion in 2017. The value of trade to these markets increased by 159% since 2009.  These markets now account for over 20% of total agri-food exports.

Growth to emerging markets has been led by Asia, with exports of €1.6 billion in 2017, of which around €1 billion went to China. Exports to other Asian markets grew by 85% since 2012 to €659 million in 2017. Trade to Africa has also grown to €606 million, while exports to the Middle East have also grown significantly, to reach €370 million.

My Department will continue to seek out and identify new markets, and I am ready to respond as appropriate to other opportunities that may arise.