Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon is leading a trade mission to Japan with Bord Bia this week, targeting an increase in exports of Irish beef, dairy and whiskey.

“Japan is an important trading partner for Ireland and is the third largest destination for Irish agri-food exports outside of Europe. In recent years we have seen this relationship grow and strengthen across a broad range of products,” he said.

Irish beef tongue is a delicacy in Japan with the Negishi restaurant chain selling beef tongue at 49 locations across Japan to 100,000 customers per week. In 2024, Ireland exported over 3,300t of beef and beef offal to Japan, valued at almost €25m. On Wednesday, Bord Bia launched the Asian chapter of the Chef’s Irish Beef Club at The Momentum by Porsche restaurant in Tokyo.

Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole said: “The fact that some of Japan’s most prestigious chefs are now cooking with Irish beef is a strong endorsement of the quality and reputation of Irish beef from farm to fork.”

Dairy

Japan is a priority market for Irish cheddar, with a number of Irish dairy companies travelling on the trade mission to engage in meetings with Japanese customers.

Joe Moore, Bord Bia’s market manager for Japan and Korea, told the Irish Farmers Journal that there is opportunity for the dairy sector to expand its offering outside of cheese: “Gym culture is kicking off in Japan. The opportunity for protein is growing. We would hope Irish dairy processors can look at the whey side of things too.”

For more, see next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.