‘It’s a hugely promising market’

AN increasingly Westernised diet in south-east Asia and a rise in health-conscious eating mean the region offers opportunities for Irish dairy companies looking to expand their export base, writes Claire Fox.

Carbery Cheese commercial director Paul McGillicuddy told the Farming Independent that he has found the trade mission very promising and is hoping that the Cork processor will be able to take advantage of the growing dairy consumption in the region.

“It’s a hugely promising market – the macro stats are hugely evident for everyone to see,” he said. “The existing dairy consumption is very encouraging and supports our focus on the market, it’s probably a dairy industry that won’t be able to meet the expectations of the local market, which is an opportunity for the Irish industry to help with that growth in consumption.”

The company has a production facility in Bangkok, Thailand, from where it has been supporting operations in Indonesia and is in the process of setting up an infrastructure in Indonesia.

Mr McGillicuddy added that while awareness of Ireland is low, he feels the credentials of Origin Green for sustainable, high quality products should help Irish dairy prevail in the diverse market.

“The awareness is the number one focus. That’s what’s great about the Origin Green programme, that as an industry we can promote ourselves and help build that awareness. Pricing is a challenge in every market but when you’ve quality products you’ll always find a market.”

Conor Mulvihill of Dairy Industry Ireland added that exporters have been “enthused” by the trade mission and expects deals between Irish exporters and south-east Asian companies to be made relatively quickly.

“We are only scratching the surface with this market,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement among companies and there’s deals and talks underway as we speak. Persistence and building a relationship with potential customers is key.”