The value of agricultural produce exports stood at €2.53 billion in the first three months (Q1) of 2023, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This is an increase of almost a fifth when compared to the same period in the previous year when the value of such exports stood at €2.12 billion.
€1 billion of agricultural produce was exported to the EU in Q1 2023, up from €830 million in first three months of 2022.
Exports to Britain and Northern Ireland increased from €859 million to €971 million, while €159 million of agricultural produce was sent to the US (up from €88 million).
There was also an increase in the value of exports to the rest of the world to €403 million (€351 million in Q1 2022).
The CSO data shows that €987 million worth of agricultural produce was exported in March, up from €842 million in the same month in 2022.
CSO
The value of food and live animal exports reached €1.3 billion in March, increasing by 17% compared to the same month in 2022.
During Q1 2023, food and live animals exports were worth €3.4 billion, up from €2.9 billion in the first three months of 2022.
Imports of food and live animals increased in value from almost €2.1 billion in Q1 2022 to €2.3 billion.
The CSO noted that food and live animal imports in March dropped slightly to €743 million (€745 million in March 2022).
Commenting on the Goods Exports and Imports March 2023 data, Ciarán Counihan, statistician in the CSO International Trade in Goods Division said: “In March 2023, Ireland’s unadjusted exports of goods decreased by €1.4 billion to €18.8 billion compared with March 2022.
“When seasonally adjusted, exports of goods fell by more than €500 million compared with February 2023.
“The unadjusted imports for March 2023 were valued at €11.2 billion, down more than €800 million on March 2022. Seasonally adjusted imports were €10.3 billion in March 2023.
“Comparing the first three months of 2023 with the same period in 2022, exports of goods were down 3%, and the value of imports increased by 10%. Exports for the first quarter of 2023 were almost €51 billion.
“Imports from Great Britain fell by 24% to €1.5 billion in March 2023 compared with March 2022, and the largest decreases were in the imports of Chemicals and Related Products, Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials and Machinery and Transport Equipment.
“Exports to Great Britain rose by 25% to more than €1.7 billion in March 2023 from March 2022,” Counihan said.