Minister Heydon concludes successful agri-food trade mission to the Republic of Korea and Japan
- Published on: 13 June 2025
- Last updated on: 13 June 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, today concludes the agri-food trade mission to the Republic of Korea and Japan, which he led in collaboration with Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland.
Over the course of the six-day trade mission, the Minister held a series of engagements with trade groups and commercial representatives, which were focussed on strengthening and expanding the trading relationship Ireland has with both the Republic of Korea and Japan.
Minister Heydon said:
“While there in Japan I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Minister Koizumi my counterpart in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, as well as Minister Niki in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This was an excellent opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest including opportunities for trade and broader cooperation between our two countries.”
In Osaka, Minister Heydon welcomed EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen, to the Ireland Pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka Kansai. Following his meeting with Commissioner Hansen, Minister Heydon took part in a panel discussion on “Sustainability and Innovation in the Farming and Food Sector”, where he was able to showcase Ireland’s achievements in sustainability and innovation in the agri-food sector to an international audience.
Tomorrow, Minister Heydon will attend the International Expo 2025 in Osaka for Ireland’s National Day. The Ireland Pavilion, which was built from West Cork timber provided by Coillte is unique as it provides live music and dancing each day for the duration of EXPO.
Commenting on the importance of the trade mission, Minister Heydon, said:
“This trade mission has demonstrated the strong trading links Ireland has with the Republic of Korea and Japan. The Irish agri-food sector is thriving in this region, and I am confident that it will continue to grow in the years ahead. The trade mission also presented a great opportunity to discuss broader cooperation and the opportunity for collaboration in investment, innovation and sustainable food systems in Korea and Japan.
“It was encouraging to see firsthand the strong impact Irish agri-food exporters are making in the Korean and Japanese markets. For instance, this week I met with Negishi, a popular restaurant chain in Tokyo that specialises in beef tongue. APB, the Irish beef processing company, supply the 50 strong restaurant chain with beef tongue and they also noted that Irish Hereford and Angus beef is particularly popular with consumers as well.
“What has become very evident from this trade mission, is that Irish grass-fed dairy and beef farming produce, is of significant interest to the Japanese public, who are particularly keen on sustainably produced products. The Irish agri-food sector is ideally placed to increase the value of exports in this region.
“Another strong success story of Irish agri-food companies operating in this region, is the Donegal based Irish Premium Oysters who export between 100 to 200 kilos of their product each month to Japan. They met with Bord Bia at the 2024 Japan International Seafood Expo to explore market access into Japan and within four months, their highly sought after product had entered the Japanese market.
“My Department is committed to building on the progress made in recent years in securing more market access for Irish agri-food produce in both the Republic of Korea and Japan and the wider Asia region. It is clear from this trade mission that the Irish agri-food sector is in an excellent position.”