Chinese meat buyers visit tyrrellspass farm

Last week as part of Bord Bia’s Marketplace 2015 event, some 15 Chinese meat buyers were in Tyrrellspass to visit a farm.

There were in Ireland for ‘Marketplace’ on March 22-28, which Bord Bia hosted in conjunction with the Irish food and drink industry.

The event aimed to build new trade relationships with retailers, food service buyers, ingredient buyers and distributors from across the globe.
Gordon Johnston’s sheep farm in Tyrrellspass welcomed the Chinese beef and lamb buyers.

Some 215 of the international buyers arrived on March 22 and later that week, they were accompanied by Bord Bia on visits to farms, factories, retail stores and manufacturing facilities all around the country.

From Kilmore Quay to Killybegs and Tyrrellspass to Tullamore, the buyers visited more than 100 sites to examine first-hand Ireland’s world-class agri-food industry.

As part of the itineraries, some buyers also met with relevant stakeholders including Minister Simon Coveney TD, senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc, Food Health Ireland, Irish Dairy Board and IDIA.

On Thursday March 26, all the overseas buyers (400 in total) joined 140 Irish food and drink buyers at the Convention Centre Dublin, where 185 Irish food and drink companies, ranging in size and profile from small enterprises to multinationals, met spoke to them in 4,500 scheduled ‘speed-dating’ style meetings.

Three additional Westmeath companies participated – Kilbeggan Organic Foods, Green Farm Foods in Rathowen and Dunbia in Kilbeggan.