Drinks exports vital to economy, Coveney tells US agri-food leaders

Drinks exports play a vital role in the Irish economy, Simon Coveney, the food minister, told agri-food leaders at briefings in Illinois and Chicago yesterday.

Fri, 29 Jun, 2012 - 01:00

Joe Dermody

Mr Coveney visited the Beam facility in Deerfield, Illinois, among other distilleries, as part of a five-day trade mission to promote the Irish drinks sector in the US.

He said: “The Irish beverage sector is now a billion-euro industry with a global reputation for quality and sales in over 100 countries worldwide. Irish whiskey exports alone in 2011 were valued at €222m, representing a 25% increase on the previous year.

“It is among the fastest growing spirit categories in the world. The largest export market is the USA, where 1.4m cases of Irish whiskey were sold in 2010 — up from 728,000 cases in 2006.”

One US-based study by market analyst Nielsen found that Irish whiskey has been growing at 19.5% versus total spirits sales value of 3.2%.

Mr Coveney’s mission is aimed at supporting Irish companies wishing to expand their business with the US, as well as welcoming American companies wishing to invest in Ireland or source more Irish product.

The US and global alcohol markets, particularly for whiskey, are expected to continue to experience growth. Mr Coveney has met with leading multinational food and drinks companies, Congress members, and other influencers on US agriculture and trade policy.

Mr Coveney said: “I am delighted that the industry is projecting investments totalling €500m to meet growing consumer demand.

“The economic impact of the drinks sector on the Irish economy is significant. Exports support jobs at home directly in the industry and its associated sectors. They also support the livelihood of farm families who supply quality raw materials.

“The contribution of the beverage sector including Irish whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, craft beers, and non-alcoholic drinks is an integral component of our agri-food success story,” he said.

Mr Coveney added that Ireland offers a warm welcome and solid business opportunities and a commitment to the development of the food and beverages industry in line with the industry-led Food Harvest 2020 strategy.