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.

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.