Minister McConalogue leads agri-food trade mission to China

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue will a lead a first post-pandemic full ministerial trade mission to China this week in co-operation with Bord Bia.

This trade mission will include events in both Beijing and Shanghai, including government to government meetings and Bord Bia engagements including meetings with leading customers for Irish food and participation in SIAL Shanghai, the world’s largest food and beverage trade show.

The minister will also launch Bord Bia-led EU dairy and meat promotion seminars, as well as promotional events for Irish whiskey and seafood, and Enterprise Ireland events.

Minister McConalogue stated: “This trade mission provides us with an important opportunity to promote our, safe, high-quality, sustainably produced meat, dairy, seafood and beverages in a market which has huge potential.

“I look forward in particular to supporting the re-entry of Irish beef on the Chinese market following the lifting the restrictions by China earlier this year.”

Growth

He said the event provides an opportunity to further raise the profile of Ireland’s unique food and drink offering among discerning Chinese consumers.

“The potential for growing the value of our trade with the Chinese market, in particular for beef exports, is critically important to the development ambitions of the sector, which ultimately supports the sustainability of our family farm model,” he said.

Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole said Ireland has built a solid trading relationship with China and it is now our sixth-largest trade destination for food and drink by value, accounting for 4% of all exports.

Buyers

“This week Bord Bia has devised a combination of insight-led itineraries and strategic buyer engagement opportunities that will support Irish food and drink companies in their efforts to deepen existing key trade relationships and to create new business opportunities.

“A growing middle class with high disposable incomes in Chinese cities is creating an aspirational consumer base with an increasing interest in premium food products and access to sophisticated digital retail platforms. Irish exporters are ideally placed to service these consumer demands,” O’Toole said.

The market

Total agri-food product exports to China in 2022 amounted to over €722m, which represents a 76% increase over the last decade, according to Central Statistics Office (CSO) trade statistics.

These statistics include non-edible products such as forestry, which are not included in Bord Bia statistics.

Last year, dairy exports to China amounted to €463m and pigmeat exports hit €125m.