The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland has said that newly published figures confirm the massive contribution the drinks industry makes to Ireland’s agri-food exports. The CSO data indicates that drinks exports have grown by 8.65% since June 2016.
Whiskey exports alone increased by 18.5% in H1 of 2017, amounting to €256m. The Irish spirits category as a whole has undergone a spectacular revival in recent years with exports up by 16% since June 2016.
ABFI director Patricia Callan, stated: “The drinks industry has committed itself to achieve the targets set out in Food Wise 2025 to increase the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion. Meeting the government’s Food Wise 2025 targets would see the drinks industry increasing exports by at least €700 million. Given the huge potential the industry has for further export led-growth, it is concerning that the government is planning to introduce the most restrictive and punitive barriers to this growth in the form of the Public Health Alcohol Bill.”
