Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has stated that the Irish meat sector permed “exceptionally well” last year in the face of a “challenging global market” environment.

The ibec association representing meat processors said that a 6% lift in meat exports to €4.3bn “bolstered” an overall 5% increase in agri-food exports.

The increase in meat exports was driven by both volume and prices, with the exception of sheepmeat, which fell 6% in exported value.

Global demand for meat is expected to rise further into 2025 and Ireland stands well placed to feed this demand with high-quality exports, MII director Dale Crammond commented.

Crammond spoke after the publication of Bord Bia’s Performance and Prospects report for 2024/25.

Strong rebound

“While beef exports remain incredibly strong, I was particularly pleased to see that the value of primary pigmeat exports increased by 7% to €490m, rebounding strongly from a decline in 2023,” he stated.

“We expect a rise in global demand for the meat sector in the coming year and our members, despite some obvious challenges, are preparing to meet consumer demands in Ireland and overseas.

“As an industry, working with our farmer suppliers, we will continue to deliver high-quality products to international markets and further advance sustainability measures across the supply chain.”

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