Irish food and farming will take centre stage this month as Bord Bia welcomes buyers, media and foodservice customers from Vietnam, China, Singapore and Japan to Ireland.

Bord Bia will host nine international media and nutrition industry stakeholders as part of its EU co-funded dairy promotion programme from 21-27 June.

The delegation includes representatives from Vietnam's national TV broadcaster, VTV Times, which reaches audiences across a country of more than 100m people.

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The visit is particularly significant as Ireland seeks to develop opportunities for dairy exports into Vietnam, a market of growing strategic importance for the Irish food industry.

Over the course of the week, delegates will visit processors, Teagasc Moorepark and University College Cork, gaining first-hand insight into Ireland's grass-based production systems, sustainability credentials and our world-class research capabilities.

Japanese delegation

Rounding out the month, a seven-member Japanese delegation with representation from one of the largest restaurant chains in Japan will visit Ireland from 22 to 26 June.

The delegation will visit meat processing facilities across Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Cavan to explore opportunities for Irish beef and lamb in Japan.

While some delegates already source Irish beef tongue, the visit is expected to explore a wider range of beef cuts, while also identifying opportunities to expand Irish lamb exports.

Dairy buyers

Last week, 23 dairy ingredient buyers from China, Vietnam and Singapore visited dairy farms and processors across Ireland to gain a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics of Irish grass-fed dairy production, Origin Green and the Bord Bia grass fed standard.

The visit was organised by Bord Bia as it focuses on building business in premium Asian markets

Commenting on the programme of visits, Declan Fennell, senior manager – EU promotions at Bord Bia, said: "Inward visits are often one of the unseen but most valuable aspects of our work. While months of planning go into each programme, there is no substitute for experiencing Irish food and farming first-hand.

"At a time when market returns are under pressure, expanding into high-value international markets and creating new opportunities to add value to Irish produce are vital to supporting returns at farm level. Visits like these are critical to building long-term trade relationships that support the continued growth of Ireland's meat and dairy sectors."