July 27, 2006

Ireland's food and drink exports to China nearly double

Irish food and drink exports to China, which were up 84 percent to EUR53.5 million last year compared to the year before, are continuing to grow strongly, Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board) said Wednesday (26 Jul) at the fourth China International Meat Industry Exhibition (CIMIE) in Beijing.

The one-day conference, organised by the China Meat Association, involved major players in the Chinese meat industry, import companies and exhibitors from meat export countries.

Bord Bia's participation is part of its on-going strategy to build and develop Irish food and drink exports to China.

Its prescence at the conference is building on a previous agreement signed last year to boost the Irish pork trade with China.

The provisional export data for the first quarter of 2006 shows a continuation of solid growth of Irish food and drink exports to China , exports have nearly tripled for the first quarter of this year compared to the last.