Beverage exports 2.6% up in H1
New data from the Central Statistics Office shows beverage exports increasing by 2.6% in the first six months of 2013, to €474 million compared to €462 million in H1 2012.
Print20 August 2013
The beverage exports sector growth finds itself in contrast to a weak export performance overall, with trends from the Irish Exporters Association and Central Statistics Office showing a fall in exports during this time.
According to Economist Tony Foley in DCU’s Business School, “Merchandise exports for the first six months of 2013 were €43.431 billion compared with €46.476 billion for the same period of 2012, this is equal to a decline of 6.6%”.
Peter O’Brien, Chair of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and Diageo’s European Corporate Relations Director, commented that the beverage export figures demonstrate that the Irish drinks industry has a key role to play in Ireland’s economic rehabilitation.
“Government must support the business strength and capability of Irish drinks manufacturers,” he said, “DIGI is calling for the reversal of last year’s excise increase in order to avoid continuing damage to a vital national industry.”
Earlier in the year, Bord Bia estimates had put beverage export performance up 4% in the first half of this year.
Steady growth led by whiskey and cream liqueurs for the period January to June had led Bord Bia to estimate the increase at €20 million in value for the category thus reaching €555 million, it stated.
The value of Irish food and drink exports generally increased by €370 million or more than 8% during the first six months of the year relative to the same period last year, it said.
At the time Bord Bia’s Chief Executive Aidan Cotter commented, “The export figures for the first half of the year are particularly impressive at a time when overall exports have fallen by some 6%. Last year, Ireland’s food and drink exports surpassed the €9 billion mark for the first time and the prospects for the remainder of 2013 remain broadly positive with a strong demand for dairy and beef, combined with a more robust prepared foods performance and further steady growth in beverages”.
The UK accounted for over 41% of total food and drink exports during the first half of 2013. Exports to other EU markets recovered from a difficult period in 2012 to account for almost 33% of exports up to the end of June as increased meat, dairy, prepared foods and beverage exports boosted trade.
Later this year, buyers from China, India and other countries in the Asian region will be among 180 international food and drink buyers at Bord Bia’s Global Sustainability Conference scheduled to take place in the Convention Centre, Dublin, on Thursday 26th September. Over 80 of these buyers will also participate in Bord Bia-organised itineraries in advance of the conference.
The event, which is expected to attract in the region of 500 delegates (including 300 from overseas), will feature speakers from Nestlé, PepsiCo, Mars, World Wildlife Fund, The World Bank, McDonalds and Tesco as well as a high level panel representing Ireland’s dairy, alcohol, meat and seafood industries.
Bord Bia is also organising a Trade Mission to the Gulf region in October which will be led by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney TD.
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