merrion street

- Minister Coveney maintains that the Irish Food and Drinks Industry is the nucleus of the regeneration needed for the road to economic recovery –

Today, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, officially opened SHOP 2011 at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin. Opening the show, which is a key event in the food and drink, retail and hospitality calendar, he congratulated the organisers and associated trade organisations for putting on another excellent exhibition which is a significant opportunity for those in the food, drink, and retail service sectors.

Minister Coveney emphasised the central role the Irish Food and Drinks Industry is playing, in light of increased export figures. He maintained that "the Irish Food and Drinks Industry is the nucleus of the regeneration needed for the road to economic recovery. There is unprecedented demand for Irish produce globally. Ireland’s success depends on our ability to develop and sustainably grow in areas where we have real and tangible competitive advantages. The Food and Drinks sector is one such area".

The Minister applauded SHOP 2011 for their international orientation "It is important that we engage with each other at a time when opportunities are presenting themselves to the industry". Events such as these provide invaluable networking opportunities for food producers and food purchasers". The Minister said that "our international visitors can experience firsthand the wealth of local artisan produce, skilled entrepreneurs and innovation that is being generated in the Food and Drink sector in Ireland today".

Concluding the Minister said that by "promoting the image of Ireland as a provider of high quality, innovative and sustainable food excellence we are seeing our aspirations becoming a reality. I hope you can take home from this event how you can develop new relationships both within your own supply chain and across the industry, for your own benefit and for the benefit of the entire economy".