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Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today opened Kerry Group’s new Regional Development & Food Application Centre in Dubai, as part of the trade mission he is leading to the Gulf States.

Minister Coveney commented “I am delighted to be here to mark the opening of this Centre for Kerry Group as one of Ireland’s leading agri-food companies. The opening of this office is an important development for the Group as it will serve the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey region as a customer focused development and application centre. It is also an important element in the development of Kerry’s new Global Technology & Innovation Centre which is under construction in Naas, County Kildare for which it will provide support services”.

This investment represents Kerry’s first investment in the MENAT (Middle East and North Africa territories) region, and Dubai was chosen due to its ideal geographic location and strong trade linkages. Kerry Group’s investment in Dubai will open up market opportunities for the increased food production planned over the next decade. It will support Irish exports of dairy ingredients, snack ingredients and nutritional systems and Ireland’s image and Origin Green programme will assist in that development.

The Minister also commented that “this opening is yet another excellent example of the growing international footprint of Ireland’s agri-food sector and the vital role which it continues to play in our national economic recovery. Developing new routes to market, and especially emerging markets, is a vital part of our strategy under Food Harvest 2020, and today’s announcement reflects that approach”.