“Food for Thought” on importance of Agri-Food Industry - Elliott
Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has emphasised the importance of the agri food industry to Northern Ireland and its economy.
Tom said: “This industry accounts for £2.4 billion and currently employs around 20,000 people in processing and upwards to 80,000 across the whole supply chain from farms to factories.
“One cannot over emphasise the importance of the agri-food industries in Northern Ireland and are a vital part in preserving the fabric of social and economic life in Northern Ireland. These industries, many of which are located in rural parts of the province underpin the rural population and economy here. It is vital that every effort is made to ensure that the future of this sector is secure, prosperous and sustainable for generations to come.
We don’t want to see the food and agricultural industries here go the same way as the textile and shipbuilding industries because people didn’t want to change. The industry is very consumer orientated and changing consumer preferences are driving everything from what new products are developed, to the way they are marketed. Fivemiletown Creamery is now supplying US supermarkets with its cheese and today you will find Northern Ireland products in supermarkets and gourmet food halls throughout the world. The company recognised that to survive in an increasingly competitive national and international business environment you must be innovative and market your products aggressively. This is an example to other companies on what can be achieved.
Recent figures show that this sector continues to contribute almost 23% of total manufacturing sales and 13% of exports, this illustrates the importance of the agri – food industry to the future economic growth of Northern Ireland. We are fortunate to have a large number of internationally recognised brands located in Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Moy Park, Dunbia (Dungannon Meats), Linden Foods and Fivemiletown Creamery to name but a few. The secret of their success and their commitment to innovation in products along with their successful marketing will ensure a locally owned industry with immense export potential. They are ideally placed to make an even greater contribution to localised wealth generation in the future.
Tom concluded: “A new NI Executive would be well advised to follow the examples of the Scottish Executive and Irish Government in making food a priority industry in areas such as procurement and promotion. Sufficient resources should be in place to accelerate the growth of this important industry. Let the Executive recognise that we already have a fist class, quality and secure product which if given the resources will continue to expand and prosper on the world market and we will not be slow in adapting to consumer demands in the future.”