Irish beef exports to Germany expected to exceed €100m mark
More than 500 food and drink companies from around the world entered a total of over 1,200 concepts and products. Cheestrings Spaghetti was selected as one of eight winners within the dairy category for the product idea, innovative character, and creative implementation. Anuga concludes tomorrow.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has reminded European food sector leaders attending Anuga that the value of Irish beef exports to Germany has more than doubled from €45m in 2010 to €90m or 15,000 tonnes in 2012.
Irish beef is available in over 10,000 retail and foodservice outlets across Germany, compared to just 2,500 three years ago. The value has increased by a further 9.8% in the first six months of this year versus the same period last year.
This boost in sales follows the initial two years of a three-year Bord Bia campaign aimed at German trade and consumers.
Mr Coveney said: “This year, despite a challenging economic and trading environment, Irish beef exports to Germany are expected to exceed the €100m mark. This is a strong endorsement for the industry as it continues to secure market share based on Ireland’s premium image and brand recognition in terms of quality, traceability, and sustainable food production.”
About 2.6m Germans have tasted Irish beef in the past two years, one in five of its targeted consumers. Awareness within the target market, which includes high-income professionals with an interest in premium food, has increased from 40% to 52%.
Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said: “The increased exports and heightened awareness provide us with tangible results and highlight the positive impact of this campaign, while validating the premium strategy and market positioning, which we continue to pursue in the European marketplace, which accounts for 99% of our total exports.
“The German market is one of the largest beef importers within the EU, importing approximately 410,000 tonnes a year, and we are on course to achieving our goal, in support of Food Harvest 2020 targets, to assist the industry in building a premium position and treble its import share by 2015.”
Bord Bia is organising and co-ordinating the presence of 17 Irish food companies at Anuga 2013, a biennial business-to-business event which attracts over 6,700 exhibitors and 155,000 trade visitors from 185 countries.
In all, 14 of the Irish companies participated under Bord Bia’s ‘Origin Green’ stand and Ireland is represented within the meat and dairy areas of the global showcase.
