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Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has told an international audience that local food and drink companies are beating the recession by focusing on exports.

Speaking at the international SPAR LOGIT (Logistics and ICT) conference, held in Belfast for the first time, the Minister addressed an audience of around 100 delegates, including some 50 directors and senior management from 20 SPAR Partners worldwide.

With support from Invest Northern Ireland, Craigavon-based Evron Foods is investing almost £400,000 to develop innovative new products, strengthen its management team and boost turnover.

Northern Ireland based Fivemiletown Creamery won nine awards for its products at the recent International Cheese Awards held at Nantwich in England. The county Tyrone based farmer owned co-operative has now collected 18 awards so far this year making it Northern Ireland's top award winning firm.

An innovative range of quality salads for consumers serious about flavour has been introduced by Northern Ireland based Provenance and recently listed by Tesco.

Umego, a refreshingly new healthy fruit juice drink that provides a first to market 25 per cent of your GDA Omega 3, has been launched by IQ Brands.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced that Newtownards-based Pritchitts has won its first business in India.

The contract which will boost Northern Ireland dairy farmers, has led to Pritchitts, part of Lakeland Dairies, supplying products to a major distributor there. The distributor has a network of depots serving food service organisations such as hotels, restaurants and inflight caterers in the key Indian centres of Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

St Patrick's Day revellers in New York will be toasting Ireland's patron saint with a new ???Belfast Black Stout' developed by Whitewater Brewing Company in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains.

Invest Northern Ireland has helped Cookstown company Vion to save over £470,000 through a programme aimed at cutting costs and increasing profitability.

Invest Northern Ireland is to assist local companies to reduce the risks of doing business in today's volatile market conditions.

A free workshop on Business Continuity Planning is being held for companies in the food and drink sector by Invest NI at the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown on 16 September. Speaking at the breakfast event will be Allan Edwards, Director of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Responsibility with the Compass Group, who will speak about how one of the world's largest foodservice organisations has prepared for a range of events such as swine flu.

Glenarm Organic Salmon, which produces a range of salmon products for the premium organic fish market, has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), particularly in activities such as marketing. During the visit Arlene Foster was able to view the salmon, raised on a unique sea farm in the Irish Sea, close to the Northern Ireland coast.