Food sector - Showcase for produce

One of the benefits of being an island in the Atlantic is that Ireland produces some of the best food in the world.

As Chinese buyers saw at the record-breaking Ploughing Championships in Co Laois, our farmers produce high-quality beef, lamb, pork, poultry, cereal, milk, butter, and other delicious food and drink.

The sea that washes the coastline has rich, albeit diminishing, stocks of fish. Still relatively clean, though noticeably deteriorating, our rivers and lakes abound with wild salmon and trout.

From the smallest producer to huge export-oriented co-ops, it would be hard to exaggerate the importance of the indigenous agri-food sector. And at the pinnacle of Ireland’s culinary achievement, the nine Michelin star restaurants named yesterday also provide a showcase of high-class Irish cuisine.