Textile and clothing companies in Northern Ireland will increasingly look to offshore manufacturing to ensure their short-term future and to protect existing jobs, the North's leading industry body has warned.

The Northern Ireland Textiles and Apparel Association estimates that more than 60 per cent of the sector's major players may currently source at least half of their total production outside of the North.

Delegates attending the first all-Ireland textiles and apparel conference yesterday in Belfast heard how companies are striving to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

Textile companies on both sides of the Border have suffered in the wake of industry restructuring and the threat posed by cheap imports.

Ms Linda McHugh, director of Northern Ireland Textiles Association, said companies that do not have an offshore manufacturing strategy run a real risk of going out of business.

"The textile sector employs 18,500 people at this time, we estimate that this will fall to about 13,500 people in the next five years. Offshore manufacturing is no longer seen as a threat by the industry in the north - it has become an opportunity," Ms McHugh added.

The association recently led an industry visit for Northern Ireland companies to view offshore manufacturing facilities in southern Africa.