Longford Farming: Agriculture Minister visits United Kingdom to promote Irish beef
Minister Heydon said he was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom today to hear first-hand about the current environment for Irish beef in the UK market.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon visited the United Kingdom today in collaboration with Bord Bia for a series of meetings to support and promote the Irish beef sector in its most important export market.
The UK remains Ireland’s most important market for agri-food produce accounting for exports of €8.1 billion in 2025.
Irish beef is our leading agri-food export to the UK, increasing by 19% year-on-year to a value €1.7 billion in 2025.
Since 2021, Irish beef exports to the UK have increased by 60% by value.
Minister Heydon, who spoke about his visit, said.,“I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom today to hear first-hand about the current environment for Irish beef in the UK market and the prospects for developing our exports further.
"In Ireland we produce the best grass-fed beef in the world. This visit gave me an opportunity to meet with some of the main suppliers and key buyers of Irish beef to understand how we can continue to protect and strengthen Ireland’s position with key customers in the UK.
"My visit underlined our commitment to the UK market and our commitment to seeking to strengthen this relationship,” Minister Heydon added.
The visit to Birmingham had three different strands.
The Minister met with representatives of key food industry suppliers and processors for a discussion on the current position and prospects for Irish beef in the UK market and to emphasise Ireland’s commitment to servicing the industry with world class product.
The Minister met representative organisations to hear about the latest market developments and to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the coming years.
In addition, the Minister met with key purchasers of Irish beef including for hotels, restaurants and premium food service, to stress Ireland’s commitment to the market.
Jim O’Toole, CEO of Bord Bia, said: “The UK is Ireland’s nearest, largest and most valuable market for beef, and protecting our position requires sustained engagement and strong trading relationships.
At a time of significant change across the market, it is particularly important that we continue to show up, listen to our customers and partners, and understand the shared opportunities and challenges facing both the Irish and British beef sectors.
Minister Heydon’s visit reinforces Ireland’s long-term commitment to the market and to supplying customers with high-quality, grass-fed Irish beef.”