Bord Bia is continuing its strategic efforts to expand the global reach of Irish food and drink exports by targeting buyers from identified priority markets at Anuga in Germany this week.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Andrew Doyle and Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy led a host of Irish food and drink exporters to the food fair, which provides a platform for Irish exporters to enhance their market diversification efforts and target new customers in priority markets.
"Targeting Business Opportunities"
Doyle stated, "Irish food and drink exporters have been targeting business opportunities at Anuga for over 30 years. This year, a record number of Irish companies, including seven companies exhibiting for the first time, will seek business with buyers from over 187 countries, reflecting the ever increasing global outlook and capabilities of Irish food and drink producers."
Anuga attracts food and drink trade buyers from all over the world, with strong attendance from buyers from the UK, China, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, all of which are priority markets for Irish exports, according to Bord Bia's 2018 Prioritising Markets report.
Addressing Challenges
McCarthy commented, "Since the advent of Brexit, Bord Bia have been assisting Irish food and drink manufacturers to explore new markets while continuing to defend and grow our position in the UK. During our engagement with companies, as part of our Brexit Barometer 2019 report, we found that limited market knowledge and a lack of business relationships are the biggest challenges faced when pursing new markets.
"Our presence at Anuga allows us to address these challenges on several fronts. We invest in lead generation to place targeted buyers in front of exhibitors and we provide a suite of services to help companies leverage business opportunities during and post-Anuga. For example, prior to this year's show, each company was provided with in-depth and tailored research reports to equip them with the required market knowledge to support buyer meetings and given the opportunity to partake in commercial marketing strategy workshops to build capability."
"Committed To Achieving Industry Targets"
Doyle added, "The government remains committed to achieving the industry targets of €19 billion as set out in Foodwise 2025 and Germany will play an important role in achieving this target with exports expected to reach €1 billion by 2025."
© 2019 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
