Food in Northern Ireland boosts sales and exports

Food and drink in Northern Ireland generated &pound4.5 billion to the local economy in 2013 - up almost seven per cent on the previousyear. The industry, Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturer and a key external sales driver, continued to grow throughout the recession. New statistics from the region's Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (DARD) also show the upward trend is continued in 2014. It is estimated that food and drink sales for 2014 will be around &pound4.8 billion. Beef, lamb and mutton, milk and dairy products are the biggest sectors, accounting for around half of turnover. Poultrymeat is another growing sector, reflecting the strength of Moy Park, Northern Ireland's biggest private sector company. Other food companies are among the region's biggest enterprises. These include Dunbia, Fane Valley and Dale Farm. Around 43 per cent of total sales - &pound1.94 billion worth of goods - was sold to Great Britain, Northern Ireland's biggest single marketplace. Exports in 2013 rose to 43 per cent of total sales from40 per cent the year before. Total sales outside Northern Ireland rose to 73.3 per cent in 2013 from 70.4 per cent and are now worth over &pound?3.3 billion from &pound2.9 billion, an increase of 11.1 per cent. Exports are now worth over ?1.4 billion - up 7.3 per cent. Northern Ireland companies also sold &pound705 million worth of products to the Republic of Ireland, the region's biggest export market, worth &pound705 million, up 1.4 per cent. Sales to other EU markets rose from &pound443.7 million to &pound523.9 million. Business with the rest of the world increased slightly from &pound132.7 million to &pound135.1 million. The statistics are part of the report on the Northern Ireland food and drinks processing sector, published by DARD. Food and drink now accounts for 27 per cent of Northern Ireland's total manufacturing sales. It estimates that in 2013 the food and drink industry contributed around 3.8 per cent of Northern Ireland's total gross value added. The number of people directly employed in the sector increased by more than 1,000 to 21,354 what are known as full-time employee equivalents in 2013.