Value of Irish food and drink exports rises to record €17bn
Bottles of Jameson whiskey, produced by Irish Distillers Ltd. Photograph: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg
The value of Ireland’s food and drink exports increased by 5% last year to a record €17bn, Bord Bia has reported, marking a milestone year for Irish exporters.
Publishing its Export Performance and Prospectus Report 2024/2025, Bord Bia said higher pricing offset a year of global trade challenges which included geopolitical instability, fluctuating inflation and rising trading costs.
Despite rising prices, Bord Bia noted that several categories recorded volume growth in addition to value growth, particularly within seafood, prepared customer foods (PCF) as well as meat and livestock.
The value of Irish dairy exports, which is the largest category of food exports, remained stable at €6.3bn, despite weather conditions throughout the year affecting grass-growth. Total meat and livestock exports increased by 6% to €4.3bn driven by higher volumes and values across beef, pigmeat and livestock.
The value of drink exports grew by 19% to just over €2.1bn, with ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages achieving a threefold increase year-on-year to €235m.
Whiskey exports increased by 13% to a value of more than €1bn, while exports in the PCF sector were worth €3.4 billion, an increase of 7%.
Seafood exports recorded a 9% increase to approximately €595m, while exports of cereals and horticulture increased by 4% in value to a total of €325m in 2024.
Speaking at the launch of the report, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said: “It is very encouraging that this annual analysis report from Bord Bia shows a hugely positive performance for the 2024 export value of Irish food and drink at €17 billion.
"Add to this the value of non-edible products and Irish agri-food exports are in the region of €19 billion, a figure approaching a 5% increase on 2023. This is a significant achievement, given the prevailing impact of cost inflation and market volatility," Mr McConalogue added.
Jim O'Toole, chief executive of Bord Bia added: "The robust performance and sustained success of the Irish agri-food sector is a testament to the industry’s focus on strategic market diversification, investment in sustainable practices, and commitment to world-class quality and traceability standards, evident throughout the supply chain.
Mr O'Toole added that climate change remains most pressing challenge for our sector, noting: "We must maintain our focus on maximising market value, while also safeguarding our environment.
Irish exports to the EU increased by 4%, Bord Bia reported, and were worth almost €5.9bn. The EU now accounts for 35% of all Irish food, drink and horticulture exports, back from a 36% share in 2023.
France, Germany and Belgium accounted for nearly 40% of total exports, with value increases recorded of 5%,12% and 12% respectively.
The UK continues to be the largest single market for Irish food, drink and horticulture exports, with value up 7% to €5.9bn.
The total share of exports for the UK in 2024 is estimated to be almost 35%, however, this remains lower than pre-Brexit trading, highlighting how Irish exporters have sought to diversify their exports to other markets.
Despite the UK market seeing inflation ease, cost of living challenges remain, and the announcement of a landmark tax raising budget could pose challenges for consumers and businesses.
Irish dairy exports were in line with 2023 values, as almost 1.6m tonnes of product, worth €6.3bn, was shipped to approximately 140 markets worldwide
The value of meat and livestock exports increased by 6% to €4.3bn. Sheepmeat and poultry achieved higher unit prices, however overall volumes declined by 23% and 4% respectively.
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