Irish agri-food likely to meet goal of €12bn annual exports by 2020

Irish agri-food will meet the goal it has set itself of growing annual exports to €12bn by 2020, says Irish Exporters Association (IEA) chief executive Colin Lawlor.

He told attendees at the IEA president’s lunch yesterday in Dublin’s Convention Centre that Irish food and drink exports have grown 26% in the last three years, reaching a record €9.2bn in 2012.

The sector now accounts for about 10% of total exports. The challenge now is to add another €3bn in sales in the next seven years, while also retaining the green credentials which have kept the country at the lucrative end of global export markets.