Ireland’s food, drinks and horticulture exports grew by 5 per cent in 2024 to stand at €17 billion, according to a Bord Bia report.
The food agency’s Export Performance and Prospects Report for 2024/25 said the higher price of goods was the main reason for growth in value of food and drinks exports in Ireland during the year.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said the analysis was encouraging and showed a “hugely positive performance for the 2024 export value of Irish food and drink”.
In 2024, the value of drinks exports grew to €2.1 billion, an increase of 19 per cent on the previous year. Vodka-based “ready-to-drink” beverages grew to €235 million, a threefold increase compared to 2023. These are prepared in Ireland and are mainly shipped to the United States, Jim O’Toole chief executive of Bord Bia said. Irish whiskey exports increased by 13 per cent to more than €1 billion in 2024.
The value of exports from the Irish dairy sector stood at €6.3 billion, remaining stable despite unseasonable weather conditions which affected production during the year. It puts Irish dairy exports in line with numbers reached in 2023.
Mr O’Toole said the better weather conditions from August 2024 until December 2024 helped farmers to catch up on production declines in the first half of the year. “That coincided with an increase in commodity prices around butter, in particular, and cheese,” he said.
Irish meat and livestock exports grew to €4.3 billion, an increase of 6 per cent. This was mainly driven by higher volumes and values across the beef, pig meat and livestock markets.
Seafood exports rose by 9 per cent to €595 million, compared to 2023. This was driven by an increase in salmon and pelagic fish, such as mackerel, herring and tuna.
Most businesses who export Irish food and drink are optimistic about the coming year, according to a CEO Sentiment Survey conducted by Bord Bia last November.
Out of all respondents, eight in 10 said they expected growth in the retail sector in 2025, however, 44 per cent said they expected to see growth in the manufacturing sector.
However, despite the optimism, more than one-third of businesses had concerns about rising labour costs and cost inflation.
The sentiment survey was issued to more than forty export companies. This accounts for two-thirds of the country’s exporters who have a total export value of almost €11 billion.
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