German President Gauck visits Origin Green farm in the Burren, Co. Clare
German President hears how Origin Green is a watermark for Ireland's reputation as a sustainable food producer
Print16 July 2015
President Joachim Gauck of Germany and Ms Daniela Schadt accompanied by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Tom Hayes, yesterday (Wednesday, 15 July) walked the farm of James Droney in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. The farmer outlined Bord Bia`s Origin Green programme and how Ireland, through this unique national initiative, aims to be a world leader in producing food sustainably.
Speaking on the farm where James Droney keeps 55 beef suckler cows and rears 50 young cattle to beef in addition to 150 lambs in the summer months, Minister Hayes said: “Germany is a very important market for our agri-food sector and the Origin Green Programme is a watermark for Ireland’s sustainable food production systems. It builds on our rigorous programme of food safety and traceability measures that allow us to trace from farm to fork. I am delighted the President and Ms Schadt have come to a family farm in Ireland to see how high quality beef can be produced in an environmentally sustainable way.”
The visit was a coup for Bord Bia, considering Germany’s importance as an export market. In fact, Germany is Ireland’s fourth largest export market for food and drink and the total estimated revenues for 2014 are €565 million, with exports reaching €133 million in Q1 of 2015. The best performing sectors are dairy, beef and prepared foods. Other sectors that have a strong presence in the German market are seafood, lamb and beverages such as Irish whiskey.
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