Bord Bia has today (Tuesday, March 14) launched a programme of Irish food and drink promotional events in 18 countries for St. Patrick’s Day.
The programme in both established and emerging markets will include events for consumers, retailers, trade and foodservice operators.
Last year, the value of Irish agri-food exports increased by 22% to a record high of €16.7 billion.
Ireland exports around 90% of its food and drink produce to 187 countries. This is worth €45 million a day to the Irish economy.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue is currently in New Zealand as part of the government’s biggest-ever St. Patrick’s Day programme.
The minister is visiting Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Ministers of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Martin Heydon is visiting Korea, and Senator Pippa Hackett has travelled to Kenya and Tanzania.
In South Korea, Minister of State with responsibility for New Market Development, Martin Heydon, will visit Seoul to chair Bord Bia’s Meat Sector Roundtable discussion with high potential beef and pork customers.
Bord Bia
In the UK, Irish produce will be showcased to over 30,000 people at the Lord Mayor of London’s official St. Patrick’s Day consumer event at Trafalgar Square.
The UK is Ireland’s principal agri-food export destination; exports to that market were valued at €5.4 billion in 2022.
In China, Bord Bia staff in Shanghai are teaming up with supermarket CitySuper to promote Irish cheese, butter and whiskey.
During March, there will be Irish beef and seafood promotions in over 1,400 grocery retailers in France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Nordics and Spain.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary will join Bord Bia at a trade event in France hosted by the country’s second-largest food retailer, Carrefour France.
15 Irish food and drink suppliers will meet members of Carrefour’s senior management and purchasing team.
Promotions
In Italy, Bord Bia Quality Assured (QA) beef adverts will be displayed across trams in Milan, while in the Netherlands there will be a digital campaign promoting cooking with Irish beef.
There will be two Irish beef butchery demonstrations in for high-end food service customers in Singapore.
Bord Bia will also host Irish food and drink companies in Germany this month at two trade shows which will attract over 100,000 visitors.
Bord Bia chief executive, Jim O’Toole said that St. Patrick’s Day provides the industry with an opportunity to showcase Irish agri-food produce, along with the Origin Green sustainability programme.
“Through opportunities with existing and new customers, Bord Bia will engage in senior-level trade meetings; online campaigns; retail and restaurant promotions; in-store tastings; cookery demonstrations; media briefings; and on-the-ground Irish food festivals, all with an aim of increasing the global footprint of Ireland’s food and drink industry,” he said.