Alan Kelly
Ceist:469. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the food trade mission to Malaysia during November 2023; and the meetings he had during this visit. [2486/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 23 January 2024
Ceisteanna (469)
Freagraí scríofa
In November 2023, Minister of State with special responsibility for New Market Development, Martin Heydon T.D, led a successful trade mission to Malaysia in co-operation with Bord Bia, Sustainable Food Systems Ireland, Teagasc and Enterprise Ireland.
Malaysia is an expanding market for Irish agri-food produce with total export sales in 2022 of €68 million, almost exclusively dairy products i.e. €63 million. The objectives of this trade mission were to continue to grow the value of our agri-food and agri-tech exports while, in tandem, widen our export profile.
Malaysia has a population of 33 million and a growing middle class. It is a market which has been identified by Bord Bia as having significant potential for expanded exports of our high quality, safe and sustainable Irish agri-food produce.
During the Trade Mission, Minister Heydon held a range of political meetings and food promotional events. These included a positive meeting with the Malaysian Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) where discussions focused on Ireland’s Market Access application for the export of duckmeat to Malaysia. This meeting also discussed opportunities for agri-food knowledge transfer co-operation between both countries which Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI) and Malaysia Ministry of Agriculture agreed to explore further.
The Minister also addressed an Enterprise Ireland Agri-Business Briefing in Kuala Lumpur which focused on agri-tech exports and the strengthening of relationships between participating Malaysian companies and Ireland.
Minister Heydon launched Bord Bia campaigns promoting Irish pigmeat in the Malaysian market and was the keynote speaker at a Bord Bia EU Dairy Technical Seminar. This successful seminar included detailed presentations by Teagasc, SFSI, DAFM and Bord Bia.