The Minister for Food, Michael Creed recently signed a new deal worth €3.75m promoting Bord Bia beef and lamb in South-East Asia. 

The three year promotion will take place in China, Japan and Hong Kong, and is seen as a useful market diversification tool.

The total campaign spend over three years is valued at €3.75m, comprising of €3m in EU funding and a further €750,000 in Bord Bia funding.

This week marks Bord Bia’s first major promotion under the programme with a strong presence planned at Foodex, a key food trade fair in Japan which attracts over 80,000 food buyers, importers, processors, retailers, restaurateurs and chefs.

Speaking about the new campaign, Minister Creed said "This is the first Irish programme approved under the new EU promotion regime.

"I am delighted to see EU recognition and financial support for an attractive industry programme to raise awareness among Chinese and Japanese consumers of the versatility and nutritional value of European beef and lamb.

"We can be proud of our quality, food safety, animal welfare and environmentally friendly production methods." 

Additional funding 

The Business to Business (B-2-B) campaign will run for three years (2017-2019) and build awareness and understanding of food safety, quality assurance and sustainability of European grass-fed beef and lamb. 

Tara McCarthy, Chief Executive of Bord Bia said "This campaign will be rolled out across three market territories, each of which will have a specific target audience, product focus and tailored promotional activities. 

"This additional funding has enabled us to significantly intensify our promotional work in the Asian market including participation at five key trade shows in the region, compared to two last year."

The growth potential of South-East Asia for food and drink exports had been identified by Bord Bia in recent years. To support Irish exporters in leveraging the potential of the area, in September 2016, Minister Creed officially opened a Bord Bia office in Singapore.