The Hindu Business Line : Dublin keen to export food & drinks to India — In talks for local distributors & exporters

IRELAND views India as a primary target for Irish food and drink industry with its reputation for being a food island that exports its rich food and drink products to more than 160 countries, according to Irish Food Board (Board Bia) Chief Executive, Mr Aidan Cotter.

Mr Cotter, who recently led an official Irish delegation here to explore the possibility of identifying distributors and importers in India for the Irish drinks and value-added ingredients, told Business Line here that Board Bia is the specialist national marketing arm for Irish food, drink and horticulture products. Set up by the Irish Government and supported by the Irish food industry, the Irish Food Board's remit includes the market development and promotion of Irish food and drink products in international markets, he said.

Stating that exports of food and drink from Ireland exceed 7 billion euros a year and account for more than 9 per cent of the gross domestic product (a very high share of the total economy by international standards for developed countries), Mr Cotter regretted that out of this huge sum of Ireland's food and drinks, exports to India were less than one million euros today. He said India with a billion population and a large and emerging middle-class with high disposable income is "unrepresented in Irish food and drink portfolio".

"So we feel that there is much potential for some of our global brands like whiskey, beers and cream liqueur which are strong brands and sourced from a country blessed with a mild temperate climate and rich land," Mr Cotter remarked. As India has its tradition of rich and spicy food that is famous across the European continent, including Dublin, he said that besides drinks, Ireland is keen on exploring markets for its rich value-added products to complement India's strength on these products, he said. "The expensive spread of high value-added ingredients ranges from nutritional, nutraceutical and functional ingredients beyond those traditionally associated with Ireland's dairy and meat sectors, to flavourings, colourings and savoury systems," Mr Cotter said.

Mr Cotter said the value-added product in the prepared foods segment consists of consumer foods in chilled, frozen or ambient form, including confectionery and speciality food products. While the confectionery sector is made up of companies producing chocolate, sugar, snack foods and bakery products, the ambient sector consists of suppliers of cereals, soups and sauces, jams/preserves, condiments, ambient meals and home banking products. Mr Cotter said the Board Bia officials went to Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and talked with importers and distributors and "we are developing a relationship with industry and working towards building contacts from which we can build a market share for Irish products."

He said: "We will evaluate the outcome of these visits and make a decision on that basis. Just one year ago, we visited China on an official mission and since then we have established a representative office in Shanghai for the region."

To a query as to whether the Board Bia could consider outsourcing its food and drink products in India for manufacture and export to third country besides selling in the domestic markets, Mr Cotter said, "these brands are inherently based on their Irishness. They are sourced from grains which are grown in the Irish countryside and distilled in Ireland." He said the products Ireland seeks to popularise are premium brands and unless the prevailing high duties on them is reduced by the Indian authorities, their offtake would not be optimistic enough even though the Irish companies would be keen on marketing them here.