How Irish diplomacy and hard graft cracked the ‘China Project’

FARM exports and China will always form one of the more interesting subplots to Ireland’s economic recovery following the collapse of 2008-11,

Surging agricultural exports offered one of the few rays of light during those dark closing days of the last decade; when, for a while, agriculture was being touted as the country’s great green hope and the potential saviour of our shattered economy.

Much of the increased export earnings were generated in the Far East, with Ireland becoming a key supplier of baby food ingredients and dairy powders for the massive Chinese market.

Roll on 10 years and much has changed. Ireland Inc has rediscovered its mojo and we’re once again top of the class in terms of the EU’s economies.

However, it isn’t all different. China remains a key export outlet, and food and drink dominate the trade from an Irish perspective.

Since 2008 Irish food and drink exports to China have grown from €85m to almost €1bn last year. In the process, China has become Ireland’s third biggest export market.

While credit for the development of these trade links must go primarily to the food and drinks companies involved, the co-ordinated manner in which the Irish authorities have tackled the ‘China Project’ deserves huge praise.

Irish companies would have been floundering in the dark had they tried to crack China on their own.

But it was a different scenario when they could count on the support of the Department of Agriculture, Bord Bia, the Department of Foreign Affairs — in effect, the machinery of the state.

The Irish trade missions to China have been led by Ministers of Agriculture, they have included senior people from the Department, and from Teagasc, as well as the companies looking to do business.

This approach had a positive impact on two fronts: it showed respect for the Chinese officials and adminis- trators, and it demonstrated that the Irish were serious about doing business.

Ireland has also allowed China to dictate the pace.

This has been frustratingly slow at times, particularly on the beef front, but the rewards are there to see in the export figures.

The Irish civil service often gets a rough press. But the co-ordinated, targeted and patient manner in which it has approached the Chinese market has to be applauded.