It can be difficult to quantify results or for farmers to see the benefits of trade missions but this week’s deployment to the Gulf States by the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia has the potential to deliver.

While there was the inevitable sense of goodwill and positivity that comes with representing our food sector abroad, there was an undercurrent throughout the week-long trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed at each and every speaking event this week placed things in the context of the UK electorate’s decision to leave to the EU.

Brexit followed the trade mission to the Middle East.

From calling for the need to “think differently” about export markets to being "prudent ... looking at more opportunities elsewhere”, the minister made no bones about life after Britain in the EU.

There were some initial wins on the trade mission through the “enhanced access” of Irish beef and the opening of the Irish sheepmeat to Saudi.

No doubt the ground was well prepared for these announcements in advance of the delegation leaving Ireland.

Untapped

The Gulf states market is largely untapped and is a natural fit for much of what Ireland produces.

We shipped €136m of food to Saudi Arabia last year and just €58m to the UAE.

Dairy is the biggest export sector through nutritional powders and cheeses but there is genuine hope that more exports will flow.

Both markets have expanding middle and upper classes where discretionary income is being channelled more and more into buying food.

The two states are 90% to 95% dependent on food produced outside of their country to feed their respective populations.

After meeting with the Saudi minister for agriculture on Sunday, the message from Minister Creed and Bord Bia chief executive Tara McCarthy was clear: these countries want security of food supply.

However, all this must pay for farmers.

By Minister Creed’s own admission to the Irish Farmers Journal in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, farming is the most exposed sector as a consequence of the Brexit vote.

No stone must be left unturned, not only to cushion the potential blow of losing traction with our biggest trading partner, but also to put farmers in the position where top prices are achieved in the world’s premium markets.

Bord Bia has drawn a line in the sand.

Ultimately, this week’s trade mission will be measured by the extent to which we grow in both volume and value terms.

A useful measurement would be a harmonised unit value that could be charted in the years ahead. There is no point in volume and value growth if it is all predicated on being the lowest-priced seller.

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In pictures: inside Almarai's dairy farm in the Saudi desert