Did the Minister for Agriculture draw the short straw when the Taoiseach was pulling names out of a hat to decide which ministers would be flying off where on St Patrick's Day this year?

Well... the answer is yes and no.

According to figures from Bord Bia, Irish food and drink imports to Italy increased by 6% last year compared to 2013 yet this figure hides a multitude of decreases in Irish imports into the country in 2014. Imports of beef offal declined by a huge 77%, while edible horticulture and dairy declined by 92% and 7% respectively.

These decreases might give Coveney some food for thought and areas to target when he lands in Rome in March.

Furthermore, the Italian grocery trade is one of the most fragmented in Europe with the top five Italian retailers representing only 38% of grocery market share. This makes it harder for Irish exporters to blanket market their products. On top of this, Italian retailers are currently faced with challenging market conditions with sales expected to decline 7% over the next four years.

If Coveney can focus on the positive aspects of this Irish-Italian partnership, which include the rise of beef imports by 18% in 2014 along with a rise in pigmeat and poultry by a whopping 42% and 277% respectively, while assessing how best to manage or improve the negative aspects, it might be more vita bella than annus horribilis for this continental liaison.