Andrew Doyle, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has just finished up a series of promotional events in China.
Deputy Doyle was leading the Irish delegation at the world’s largest seafood expo, and claimed that it was an “important opportunity” to promote Irish seafood in China – which is Ireland’s third-largest market for food products.
Deputy Doyle spoke at the opening ceremony of the expo, which took place in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, where he was joined by China’s Vice-Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yu Kanzheng.
This Expo was an important opportunity to showcase the high quality and sustainability of Ireland’s seafood offering on a world stage. This is a key trade opportunity, with 14 Irish seafood companies participating under the ‘Origin Green’ banner this year.
Speaking from the expo, Deputy Doyle said: “This was another useful opportunity to engage with Chinese counterparts on issues of trade and cooperation.
“This follows my participation at China Import and Export Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, along with several leading Irish food companies,” he added.
Deputy Doyle claimed that this level of cooperation between the two countries is the key to Irish produce finding their place in the Chinese market.
“Ongoing government-to-government, as well as business-to-business, engagement is essential to this export success,” he declared.