For a small Country, we really do punch above our weight!

With a population of around four million, Ireland is not a large country by any standard. To put its population size in perspective, the city of San Francisco in the USA has more citizens than the entire Republic of Ireland. However, the country's agricultural industry has managed to become a significant player in the global export market. Ireland's export figures show that the country produces enough food to supply 36 million people; Irish farmers could figuratively feed their country nine times over with their rate of production.

Irish food and drink export values came to €10.5 billion in 2014. With natural advantages like a temperate climate, fertile soil and plenty of rain, the country boasts the ability to become an even bigger exporter of farm-produce. Strategies are even in place at the moment to expand Ireland's current export reach from the estimated 36 million people to a staggering 50 million. The government is getting the ball rolling by putting in place the 'Food Harvest 2020 Strategy'; a plan whose ambitious details will hopefully make a difference to the impending food-shortage of the future.

Our main export destination is the UK, to whom we provide 42% of all exports. 31% of exports go to markets in the continental EU, and 27% of Ireland's exports go to international markets.

90% of the country's net beef output is exported, giving us the title of largest European beef exporter, with our numbers also ranking very highly on a global scale. The carbon foot-print of the Irish beef industry is also among the lowest in Europe. With regards to dairy, 85% is exported, making Ireland the 10th largest dairy export nation in the world.

According to Bord Bia, the agri-food and drink sector accounts for 7.7% of Ireland's economy-wide GVA, 10.8% of Ireland’s exports and 8% of total employment.

It is reported that agri-product export distribution by sector are as follows: dairy products and ingredients (30%), prepared consumer foods (15%), beef (21%), live animals (2%), beverages (14%), pig-meat (5%), poultry (2%), sheep-meat (2%), seafood (6%) and edible horticulture (3%).

The beef and milk production industries are the most important farming sectors in Ireland. They're responsible for 60% of agricultural output, making them vital to the agricultural success of the country.

The Beef Industry:

There are about 6.8 million cattle in Ireland, showing an average of a 4% increase annually. In 2014, Ireland exported approximately 524,000 tonnes of beef, worth around €2.27 billion, and approximately 237,000 live cattle were exported that year.

Irish beef has been spread successfully, nudging itself into coveted spots of the export market. The top 70 European retail chains are supplied by Irish beef producers. 1 in 5 burgers eaten in European McDonald's are made from Irish beef, and almost 1kg in every 4kg of beef consumed in the UK is of Irish origin.

The Dairy Industry:

Ireland is home to over 18,500 dairy farms. Total Irish milk output in 2014 amounted to around 5.4 billion litres, with an estimated farmgate value of well over €1.8 billion.

The average herd size is Ireland is around 55-60 cows per farm, and Ireland is responsible for less than 1% of the world's dairy cows. However, Ireland produces over 15% of the world's infant milk formula, and is home to three of the world’s main producers – Pfizer (Askeaton, Co. Limerick), Abbotts (Cootehill, Co. Cavan) and Danone (Macroom, Co. Cork and Rockmills, Co. Wexford).

Butter is exported by the major dairy company Kerrygold. Some of the other major Irish dairy export goods include cheese, casein, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey and other specialised ingredients.

The Sheep-Meat Industry:

An increase in sheep of 7% in 2012 brought Irish flock numbers to 5.14 million. In that same year, Ireland exported approximately 42,000 tonnes of sheep-meat, bringing in €205 million to the country. However, in 2014, 46,500 tonnes were exported bringing €216 million in, which is not as big an increase as experts would have anticipated. The main destination for Irish sheep-meat exports is France, who receives an estimated 44% of our annual figures. The UK buys a substantial amount of sheep-meat from Ireland too; around 29% of our total export numbers.

The Pork Industry:

The Central Statistics Office's livestock survey, conducted in 2014, revealed that Ireland was home to about 1.55 million pigs, after figures declined in 2013 and then rose again. In 2014, Ireland exported 207,000 tonnes of pig-meat, worth around €570 million. The UK was the main destination for Irish pig-meat, with around 45% of our exports arriving there. Continental Europe markets bought around 23% of our pork, and 32% of Irish pork exports went further than our European counterparts.