Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
902. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the continuing efforts being made to seek new markets in the context of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35698/23]
View answerI am fully committed to supporting the sustainable development of the agrifood sector, and to helping it to effectively navigate the many challenges it faces, such as the continuing impacts of Brexit, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical difficulties such as those created by the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.
At a strategic level, Food Vision 2030 sets out a clear ambition to grow the value of Irish exports over the next ten years. This ambition will be realised by implementing actions that are focused on market diversification, as well as investment in innovation at producer and processor level.
This focus on market diversification has been a key element of the response to Brexit, which has, for example, seen increased investment by Government in Bord Bia's market diversification and market promotion activities. Bord Bia's market prioritisation studies provide up-to-date market information and insights which are used to target resources at priority growth markets. This analysis also informs my Department's and Bord Bia's choices in relation to priority destinations for Ministerial trade missions, the placement of Agriculture attachés and the location of Bord Bia's in-market resources.
In 2022, a comprehensive series of Ministerial-led trade missions was delivered in the United States, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as European promotional activities in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
In 2023 to date, my colleague Minister Pippa Hackett has led an Organics trade mission to Germany, and Minister Martin Heydon led a trade visit to China in April. The latter's focus on Irish exporters in Hainan and Shanghai has been complemented by my own visit to China In May, which focused on key Government-to-Government engagements in Beijing and a series of trade promotion engagements in both Beijing and Shanghai following the successful re-admission of Irish beef to the Chinese market in January 2023.
During the remainder of 2023, trade missions are planned to Nigeria, Senegal, Malaysia, the Philippines and to a number of key European markets.
All of these activities support the diversification of market opportunities for Irish agrifood on international markets, thus demonstrating the Government's ongoing commitment to continue to grow our agrifood exports, despite the many challenges faced by the sector.
