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“International markets led the growth in exports in 2016, contributing over 80% of total growth in exports and rising by an estimated 13% to just under €3.5bn or 31% of exports,” Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said.
The strongest performers for international trade last year were dairy, beverages, prepared foods, pigmeat and beef.
The US proved to be a particularly important market in 2016, where exports increased by 23% to €955m.
Irish exports to China recorded a 35% growth, this was driven mostly by dairy and pigmeat exports, which were worth €118m last year, dominating all meat and livestock export to the Chinese market.
Exports to the UK declined
Exports to Ireland’s prime market outlet, the UK, fell by 8% to €4.1bn, affected by a weaker sterling.
While exports to international and other European markets increased, the share of exports to the UK declined from 41% to 37%.
Other EU markets grew by 3% last year, reaching just over €3.5bn. This accounted for 32% of total food and drink exports.
The Netherlands, Germany and France drove the increases, with exports to Spain, Poland and Scandinavian markets also bigger.
Minister Creed said there is “huge potential for growth in exports beyond EU markets, in particular China, South East Asia , Middle East and Africa.”
Live exports
On the live export trade, he said it provides a vital role as an alternative market outlet for Irish farmers, especially in an environment where the number of calf births has increased in recent years.
“To date this year we have also secured new market access for Irish beef to Egypt. This is a vital means of providing our beef sector with as many commercial opportunities as possible for Irish beef, in addition to our traditional European markets.”
He cited the Turkish market as an example, with approximately 20,000 live cattle exported there over the course of the last few months of 2016.
Irish beef exports in 2016 reached highest level in over 10 years
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