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.
Food Wise 2025 outlines the huge potential for growth in agri-food exports to new and emerging markets, including in Asia, Africa and the Gulf region.
There has been strong appetite from Irish food and drink exporters to capitalise on increasing opportunities in the Gulf region - a market that has grown by over a third in the last 5 years to a value of over €400m in 2017. Indeed Iran, with a population of 80m and a relatively wealthy middle class, had been identified by Irish exporters as a market worthy of further exploration , and in particular for dairy ingredients. Against that background, my Department led a trade mission to Iran, along with Bord Bia and a number of Irish food manufacturers, in 2016.
I have no further plans to visit Iran in the immediate future. However, the Gulf region does remain firmly in our sights. I led a trade mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in February of last year. Bord Bia, the body responsible for marketing Irish food, has offices in Dubai to uncover and capitalise on opportunities for Irish food in the region, including Iran, on an ongoing basis. The Irish Ambassador in Ankara, Turkey, has also visited Iran frequently, working both bilaterally and in cooperation with the state agencies to assist Irish companies exploring opportunities there.
