The Prepared Consumer Foods market grew by 7% between 2013 and 2014, representing a thriving and dynamic component of the wider Irish Food industry. The sector represents businesses across the retail spectrum from small craft and artisan entities, to the large, globally recognised, brands, with around 500 enterprises producing goods for export.
Prepared consumer foods reach every household in the country, and employ over 20,000 people directly. Shane Dempsey, Head of the Prepared Consumer Foods, Ibec, said: “A thriving and dynamic Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF) sector is key […] for the Irish food industry. This has long been acknowledged and this year for the first time we can assess the sector’s export performance which is up 7% on 2013 and accounts for €2.2 billion or about 21% of all Irish-food products”.
A new ten-year strategy is being implemented at the request of Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney for the sector. Along with proper policy regulation, the new strategy could add up to 8,000 new jobs to the industry and improve output by 70%.
Dempsey added that the time to act is now to reverse the neglect of the sector over the past number of years. Easier access to finance, reducing the cost of business and supporting new innovations and ideas are all required to promote Irish food, both nationally and further afield.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Robert Moloney.
