Food and drink sector sales increase to over £4.5bn

SALES by Northern Ireland food and drink companies have increased by 1.5% to £4.54bn, according to the latest figures.

The food and drink processing sector report from the Department of Agriculture, Environ- ment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) also said sales were expected to have shown growth of a further 1% through 2015, to reach £4.596bn.

DAERA added that a 1% rate of growth was lower than in many previous years.

Sales had grown from £4.48bn in 2013 to £4.54bn in 2014, the figures show. And overall, food and drink accounted for 21% of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing exports in 2014 — the most recent year for which full figures are available.

It also accounted for 28% of employment in the Northern Ireland manufacturing sector in 2014, and 23% of external sales — which includes sales to the rest of the UK as well as export sales.

And the sub-sectors of beef and sheep meat, and milk and milk products, were the biggest sub-sectors for sales in both 2014 and 2015, accounting for just under half of all sales.

Great Britain was Northern Ireland’s biggest market, and bought £2.5bn in food and drink in 2014. The Republic was the most important export destination and bought £708m in food and drink.

In fact, food and drink companies sold more during 2013 and 2014 to export customers than to domestic customers in Northern Ireland.