Exports of dairy products from the EU soared by 19% year-on-year in the first month of 2023 reaching €1.6 billion, according to latest agri-food figures.
The latest agri-food trade report published by the European Commission shows that overall exports grew to €18 billion.
The report highlights that the UK remained “by far” the first destination for a majority of EU agri-food exports, representing 22% of the total.
The US was second, with 11% and China remained in third place with 7%.
Agri-food exports
According to the agri-trade report, one of the biggest exports from the EU was “cereal preparations and milling products”, which grew year-on-year by 28% to €1.9 billion in value.
Overall cereal exports jumped to €1.1 billion.
Exports of dairy products were also higher in January 2023 compared to where they had been in the same month a year earlier. This was mainly due to demand for cheese and curd, and dairy powders.
The latest export statistics for the EU reflect a similar pattern for exports from Ireland in the first month of the year.
According to the Central Statistics Office, exports of food and live animals from Ireland were up by €144 million – an increase of 17% year-on-year – to €1.2 billion in January 2023.
Agri-food imports
The EU agri-food trade report also outlined that Europe imported €13.8 billion worth of agri-goods in January, with Brazil one of the most important sources of these imports – accounting for 10% of the total.
The chief imports from Brazil included maize, which increased by 259% year-on-year in January to a value of €144 million, representing an increase of 448,000t.
Ukraine became the second source of EU agri-food imports, according to the commission.
EU imports from Ukraine increased by 16%, to reach €1.2 billion.
Although still high, EU imports of cereals from Ukraine declined for the second month in a row in January to a value of €608 million.