KUALA LUMPUR: The evolving demographics of the Malaysian population offers great potential for Ireland to bolster the value of its exports to Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asia region, said Irish Minister of State for Research and Development, Farm Safety, and New Market Development, Martin Heydon.
Heydon, presently on a two-day trade mission in Malaysia, emphasised the growing demand for nutritionally dense value-added dairy products, particularly among the aging population in Malaysia.
He noted that Ireland is well-positioned to meet this demand.
“Malaysia’s population is changing, increasing the demand for adult nutrition products. This has the potential to drive growth in the value of Irish exports to the (Southeast Asia) region,“ Heydon said during an exclusive interview with Bernama at a leading hotel here on Tuesday.
Dairy products have been a major component of Irish exports to Malaysia, accounting for a substantial portion. In 2022, Ireland exported dairy products worth €60 million to Malaysia (€1=RM4.98), showing a slight decrease of 4 per cent from €62 million in 2021.
Notable areas of growth within the dairy sector include casein and butter, with exports witnessing significant increases of 168 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively. Key processors like Tirlan, Lakeland, Ornua, Kerry, Carbery, Dairygold, and Tipperary have established strong footholds in the Malaysian market through partnerships with local importers.
In 2022, Irish drink exports to Malaysia surged to €1.8 million, marking an impressive 87 per cent increase from €1 million in 2021. Additionally, Irish seafood exports to Malaysia totaled €804,838 in 2022 – a notable surge of 152.2 per cent compared to the previous year.
Irish exports in 2022 to Asia exceeded €1.4 billion, with South East Asia contributing over €394 million to this figure, representing 27 per cent of Asia’s overall performance.
Commenting on the 2023 trade mission launched by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, Minister Heydon stated that this marks the fifth trade mission to South East Asia, focusing on key markets in Malaysia and the Philippines.
The mission aims to enhance Ireland’s reputation for providing sustainable, safe, and high-quality food and drink in the region.
“The Trade Mission will raise awareness of Ireland’s sustainable food production systems and our commitment to supporting business-to-business relationships which can make a real difference to Irish food and drink exporters.
“I look forward to continuously building on the strong government-to-government relationships we had during my meetings with my counterparts in Malaysia and to promoting Ireland’s high-quality food offering in this valuable market,” said the minister, who also met Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.–Bernama
