Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan is in the US this week on a visit aimed at securing foreign direct investment in the Irish food industry,
Ms Coughlan will be attempting to establish food innovation and research networks between here and the US, according to a statement issued yesterday.
The visit will also involve a series of meetings with a number of key political figures in Washington to discuss agriculture and food issues.
The Minister will meet the US deputy secretary for agriculture at the US department of agriculture and will also have discussions with senator Saxby Chambliss, chair of the senate committee on agriculture, nutrition and forestry and congressman Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the house agriculture committee
In conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, she will have a series of meetings with top-level management in a number of major US companies and research institutions.
She plans to meet the senior management of Glanbia, Abbot Nutrition and the Kerry R&D Centre. The Minister emphasised the importance of promoting and further developing investment and trade links as well as research and development opportunities between Ireland and the US in the areas of food and nutrition.
Increased exports of Irish food and drink to the US has been a long-term ambition of the Irish food industry and despite difficulties in gaining access to markets, there have been major successes in recent years, particularly in dairy products.
The Irish Dairy Board report on exports last year which was published recently, showed that sales volumes of Kerrygold brand in the US grew by 20 per cent across the range. Promising a strong growth again this year on the back of major promotions and advertising across the US, the IDB said the American market now accounted for 13 per cent of its export sales globally.