The Minister for Food, Agriculture and the Marine, Simon Coveney, is leading a large Irish delegation in China in an effort to encourage relationships between Irish suppliers and Chinese buyers.
The trade mission delegates, along with 37 Irish companies will visit five cities in five days, with 50 meetings. Before departing on the mission, Minister Coveney said that Ireland sees China as a key strategic trade partner.
Minister Coveney said: "China has a strong demand for imports of quality food, given the size of its population and concerns over food security and safety; and Ireland is strategically placed to be a key supplier of quality meats, dairy products, beverages, seafood and other products and services to China/Hong Kong.
"Already in the first six months of 2014 Ireland exported over €405 million in dairy, meats, beverages seafood and hides and skins to China, compared with a figure of €300 million for the same period in 2013. This is tremendous progress in a very short period of time, and this mission is about building on that momentum."
Amongst the issues to discuss on the mission is the progression of market access for Irish beef and highlighting Ireland as a source for quality dairy products, as well as expanding opportunities for the seafood sector.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
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