The value of Ireland’s agri-food exports has grown by over one quarter since 2020 to hit €18.1bn this year, according to the Department of Agriculture’s annual review and outlook report.

Just over one third of these exports comprised dairy products, with butter and cheese both north of the €1bn mark, while beef exports were worth an additional €3bn.

The report states that the agri-food sector employed 171,400 or one in every 16 people in the workforce.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said that the economic footprint of the farming sector reflects the competitive advantage of agricultural production in Ireland, as well as the reputation of Irish agri-food goods among global consumers.

"The agri-food sector is our largest and most important indigenous exporting sector and plays a critical role in the environmental, societal and economic sustainability of Ireland,” the Minister commented.

Resilience

“We have seen the ongoing resilience of our farmers and fishers, food producers, processors and distributors as they experienced disruption and higher input prices caused by continued market disruption in recent years.

“Despite ongoing pressures, the sector has demonstrated its adaptability and strength, continuing to deliver safe and nutritious food and drink, not only in Ireland but to people all around the world.”

Minister McConalogue said the export data shows the key international destinations for key farm commodities.

“The Irish agri-food sector is globally orientated, with approximately 90% of Irish beef, sheepmeat and dairy produce exported annually.

“The UK remains our largest trading partner, with 38% or €6.8bn of agri-food products exported in 2023. EU countries accounted for 34% at €6.2bn, while the rest of the world accounted for 28% at €5.1bn.”

The US was the second-largest export destination in 2024, followed by the Netherlands.

The Minister also announced the publication of phase one of the Food Vision 2030 dashboard that will offer insights into environmental data and indicators, with phase two to expand the dashboard to include economic and social sustainability metrics.