Bord Bia is this week holding its first post-Covid-19 trade mission to China, led by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.
Bord Bia will host 14 Irish exporters on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's trade mission to China.
The focus of the trade mission is about raising the profile of Irish food and drink with customers in Beijing and Shanghai through a series of events.
The companies will represent Ireland at SIAL, the largest food and drink trade show in China.
Total agri-food exports to China last year were valued at €722mn, of which €683m represented food and drink.
This makes China Ireland's sixth largest trade destination for food and drink by value, accounting for 4% of all exports.
The trade mission will begin in Beijing today with bilateral government meetings between Irish and Chinese officials, while Bord Bia facilitates a series of meetings with customers of Irish food and drink.
A major focus of the trip will be on the upcoming promotion of Irish beef and pigmeat across China in both retail and foodservice channels.
The visit will also include an EU meat trade seminar in Shanghai and a chef masterclass in Beijing.
Irish dairy exports to China had grown significantly over the last decade, driven by demand for imported branded infant formula, but in recent years import demand in this category has declined as Chinese consumers have increasingly chosen domestic brands.
At the same time there is growing ageing demographic in China and by 2035, an estimated 400 million people in China will be age 60 and over, representing 30% of the population.
As a result, an increased focus on health and wellness is creating opportunities for imported ingredients to service Chinese manufacturers' needs in the categories of sports nutrition, adult nutrition and food for special medical purposes.
Ireland's dairy industry has strong capability in this field, Bord Bia said today.
To support the dairy sector, Bord Bia is also hosting a dairy seminar to connect Irish dairy companies with market customers in an effort to better understand individual market and consumer needs.
There will also be a focus on the seafood and drink industry during the Chinese trip.
Irish whiskey exports to mainland China have grown almost sevenfold from 2018-2022 and Bord Bia will aim to leverage this momentum by hosting an Irish whiskey masterclass in Shanghai to educate the bar trade on the Irish whiskey category.
Bord Bia CEO Jim O'Toole said that as well as the positive economic drivers, there are a range of consumer trends and changing behaviours in the Chinese market that are driving opportunities for Irish exports.
"China has one of the largest populations in the world and its GDP per capita has increased tenfold in the last 20 years, making it the world's second largest economy today," he said.
"A growing middle class with high disposable incomes in Chinese cities is creating an aspirational consumer base, with an increasing interest in premium food products and access to sophisticated digital retail platforms," Mr O'Toole said.
"Irish exporters are ideally placed to service these consumer demands, as Ireland's focus on sustainably produced high-quality food and drink exports, backed by the Origin Green programme, offers the perfect solution to this growing Chinese market," he added.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said after the resumption of Irish beef exports to the market this is an excellent opportunity to further promote the sector in China and to communicate Ireland's grassfed and premium farming credentials for both meat and dairy.
"It is timely that it is our first trip to China in three years as it comes amid an improved economic outlook plus a growing demand for value-added dairy ingredients to complement the fast-growing Chinese dairy sector," the Minister said.
"Bord Bia does a tremendous job promoting our word-class food and drink at home and abroad and I know it will help drive further added-value activity in China," he added.
