Agri-food exports hit €15.4 billion last year
Irish agri-food exports were worth €15.4 billion in 2021, an increase of 51% since 2012, new figures show today.
Irish produce was exported to more than 180 countries with the largest export being dairy, which exceeded €5 billion for the third year in a row.
Agri-food exports accounted for 9.5% of total goods exports from Ireland.
Meanwhile, average family farm income increased for the third successive year last year, rising by 26%.
Irish farmers received close to €1.9 billion in direct and capital payments under EU and nationally funded schemes.
In 2021 Ireland had a total of 135,037 farms and the sector employed 170,000 people or 7.1% of the Irish workforce.
56,000 of these people worked in 2,000 food and beverage enterprises in the country.
All the figures are contained in the Annual Review and Outlook report from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Article Source: Agri-food exports hit €15.4 billion last year – Joe Mag Raollaigh – RTE
