Bord Bia has today (Monday, October 17) announced that it will spend an additional €1 million promoting Irish beef in UK and EU markets this autumn.
The promotion will highlight Irish quality assured steak in the UK, Italy, Belgium and Germany, while the focus for consumers in the Netherlands will be on stewing cuts.
The additional funding will be used for a range of marketing campaigns including hundreds of billboards in Germany, Belgium and Italy.
Trams and buses across Milan, Rome and Bologna will feature Irish steak advertisements throughout October and November.
Bord Bia will also promote Irish steak with UK retailers, including an organic beef campaign with an online retailer.
Announcing the marketing investment at the Salon International d`Alimentation (SIAL) Paris trade show for the food sector, Bord Bia interim chief executive Michael Murphy said:
“During the summer, Bord Bia made the decision to enhance its regular autumn promotions in Europe to coincide with the peak in cattle slaughter in Ireland.
“We are conscious of the challenges faced by farmers and we believe this suite of promotional activities across key European countries and the UK will enhance sales of Irish beef steaks across markets.”
14 Irish meat and dairy companies who are members of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme are exhibiting at the SIAL Paris trade show which runs until Wednesday (October 19).
300,000 visitors, including buyers from over 200 countries, are expected to attend the world’s largest food trade fair.
“The biggest challenge faced by companies is negotiating price increases with existing customers in the current inflationary context. Security of supply and long term partnerships have never been more important,” Murphy said.
The Irish delegation is also being led by Minister of State for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, Martin Heydon.
“Structured engagements such as SIAL offer a real opportunity to communicate the premium quality of Ireland’s food and drink offering, to the benefit of all those along the value chain, with farming families at the centre of this,” Minister Heydon said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue will also promote Irish beef when he meets Italian trading partners following his address to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) World Food Forum 2022 in Rome.