FDBusiness.com

Bord Bia has announced its international trade programme of activity for 2024 including ministerial-led trade missions and a calendar of 24 trade show events across China, Europe, Japan, the US, and South East Asia.

Highlights in the 2024 trade events calendar include an upcoming trade mission to the US starting on March 24th, which will be led by the Minister of State with responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety, and New Market Development, Martin Heydon, T.D.  This will be followed by another trade mission to China later in the year.

Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole (pictured) said: “Irish food and drink exports are worth €16.3 billion to the Irish economy so structured engagements like trade shows and trade missions offer a real opportunity to communicate the premium quality of Ireland’s food and drink to both existing and potential customers overseas. The impact of meeting face to face with international customers is incredibly important for driving business and leads to benefits all along the supply chain, particularly for farmers as our primary producers.

Trade shows are strategically important for Irish exporting companies looking at building new contacts that allow industry to diversify into new markets. Bord Bia’s teams and network of 14 overseas offices are instrumental in executing business conversion from leads generated at these trade shows, creating significant return for the Irish economy.”

Included in Bord Bia’s trade show activity are a host of new trade shows focusing on the meat, dairy, and drink sectors. There is a focus on emerging and growing markets, including South East Asia, which is growing at pace and represents a priority target market for the diversification of Irish food and drink exports.

For the drinks category, there will be two new Prowein trade shows, both in Singapore in April and in Mumbai in November. In October, there will be ministerial trade visit to France to coincide with SIAL, one of the largest international trade shows that takes place every second year in Paris. SIAL remains a crucial landmark on the global food industry calendar.

Earlier this month Bord Bia hosted seven Irish companies at Biofach, the largest organic trade show in Germany. In October Bord Bia will also exhibit at the Nordic Organic Trade Show in Stockholm for the first time as part of the wider programme of activity in building the awareness of pasture raised organic beef and lamb across Europe.

Bord Bia is also organising and coordinating the Irish presence at a host of other European trade fairs for retail and food service channels the coming months, attracting trade buyers from across Europe, the UK, US, China, South East Asia and Japan. To date this year, Bord Bia has participated at Gulfood in Dubai (February 19^th – 23^rd) and ISM for the sweets and snack industry (PCF) which was held in January in Cologne.