The prospect of the global economy returning to growth this year as well as the recent strengthening of sterling are providing a backdrop for a renewed export drive for Irish food and drink.
Bord Bia is holding its Marketplace event in Croke Park today where more than 300 international buyers will engage in 2,800 'speed-dating' style meetings. These meetings are designed to build new business relationships with 150 leading Irish food and drink companies.
Some of the world's biggest retail chains will attend the Croke Park event, including Carrefour, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda, Starbucks and Chinese companies Costa Coffee and Shanghai City Supermarkets.
Irish exporters will try to seek out new market opportunities with food and drink buyers from 27 countries, including the UK, Europe, Russia, North America and China.
'Following an exceptionally challenging year in 2009, when exporters encountered the most difficult marketing environment in recent memory, growth in food and drink exports is set to resume, from their current level of over €7 billion, in 2010,' commented Dan Browne, Chairman of Bord Bia.
'The wide regional spread of buyers attending Marketplace will facilitate continued market diversification in 2010,' commented Bord Bia's CEO Aidan Cotter.
'The improvement in sterling will provide much needed breathing space to exporters to the UK, which last year still accounted for 43% of total food and drink exports,' he added.
