Growth in Northern Ireland’s foods and drinks processing region is estimated to have slowed appreciably in 2018, in step with new figures launched by using the place’s Department of Agriculture (DAERA).
The area’s food and drinks processing sector has experienced a recent resurgence and is envisioned to have grown through as a lot as 60% due to 2000.
However, it’s a fine addition, taking the industry’s price to the financial system to £four 952 million.
Employment levels
Meanwhile, the number hired by the world continued to develop at a constant price.
Provisional estimates for 2018 imply a five% growth inside the total variety of direct full-time workforce employed in food processing to 24,818 – marginally higher than the four—nine% growth seen in 2017.
Markets
The largest marketplace for the arena continues to be Great Britain, valued at £2,377 million in 2017.
Export income extended by way of 14.7% from £1,099 million in 2016 to £1,264 million in 2017, with most exports destined for the Republic of Ireland.
Subsectors
All 10 subsectors recorded a growth in their levels of gross turnover between 2016 and 2017. The subsectors which experienced the largest growth in overall gross turnover between 2016 and 2017 were milk and milk merchandise (up £191.4 million) and red meat and sheep meat (up £121.9 million).
Milk and milk merchandise (up 21.8%), fish (up 17.Nine%), and eggs (up 14.5%) recorded the biggest increases in the share of gross turnover between 2016 and 2017.
The food and drinks processing quarter is anticipated to have accounted for 32.Four% of Northern Ireland’s overall product sales in 2017.
Commenting on the figures, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) government director Michael Bell said performance remained robust but warned that home political problems in Northern Ireland were stifling investment.
“The nearby food and drink region has endured performing strongly notwithstanding a hard environment, taking part in giant growth of over 10% between 2016 and 2017,” he stated.
“Whilst those export figures are properly information for the world and must be welcomed, we ought, to be frank, approximately the scale of the demanding situations that lie beforehand, mainly, the hazard of a ‘No-deal’ Brexit.
“Our meals industry is uniquely exposed by using Brexit, and a current file from the Department of the Economy envisioned that 40,000 jobs would be misplaced in a no-deal scenario because we rely on EU exports.
“A ‘No-deal’ final results have to be prevented in any respect prices, and we continue to lobby the UK Government on behalf of our contributors on this pertinent trouble.
“If we are to obtain destiny growth, we want to be con continued to get admission to our essential export markets, get right of entry to migrant labor, the established order of a food advertising and marketing frame, and government backing to foster automation similarly inside the meals processing area.
“With the right assist, I am assured that the foods and drinks industry will preserve to perform nicely and be a leading light in the neighborhood financial system.”
