Ireland imported 347,000 tonnes of fruit and nuts, valued at €563 million in 2024.
There were almost 96,000 tonnes of bananas and 56,000 tonnes of apples imported in 2024. 73% of the imports of bananas came from Costa Rica (44,000 tonnes) and Belize (26,000 tonnes). The imports of bananas were valued at €75 million, and imports of apples were valued at almost €70 million. There were 11,000 tonnes of pineapples imported (valued €13 million), 97% of which also came from Costa Rica.
64,000 tonnes of oranges and mandarins were imported in 2024, valued at €64.7 million. The biggest import partners were South Africa (16,900 tonnes), Egypt (16,200 tonnes) and Spain (13,000 tonnes). There were also 21,500 tonnes of grapes (€60 million), 21,000 tonnes of melons (€23 million) and 13,200 tonnes of lemons (€18 million) imported in 2024. Ireland also imported almost 12,000 tonnes of strawberries and other berries, valued at €86.8 million as well as 6,000 tonnes of nuts, valued at €30.4 million
In 2024, Ireland imported fruit juice valued at €277 million, most of which was orange juice valued at €202 million.
| 000 tonnes | €million | |
| Nuts | 6.052 | 30.439 |
| Apricots,cherries, peaches, plums | 7.393 | 17.216 |
| Pears | 10.748 | 15.78 |
| Pineapples | 10.973 | 12.665 |
| Avocados & Mangoes | 11.427 | 37.67 |
| Strawberries & other berries | 11.98 | 86.808 |
| Lemons | 13.204 | 17.524 |
| Other fruit | 16.903 | 51.69 |
| Melon | 21.043 | 23.014 |
| Grapes | 21.538 | 60.485 |
| Apples | 55.98 | 69.651 |
| Oranges and Mandarins | 64.028 | 64.687 |
| Bananas | 95.694 | 75.361 |
Ireland imported 21,000 tonnes of coffee valued at €196 million, 15,000 tonnes of tea valued at €104.6 million and 82,700 tonnes of chocolate and cocoa products, valued at €578 million. More than half of the imports of tea (55%) cam4e from Kenya (5,700 tonnes) and Sri Lanka (2,600 tonnes). 73% of the imports of chocolate and cocoa products came from the UK (47,600 tonnes), Germany (7,000 tonnes) and Belgium (5,800 tonnes). Correspondingly, Ireland exported 63,700 tonnes of chocolate and cocoa products which were valued at €396.5 million. 76% of exported chocolate went to the UK (48,500 tonnes) and an additional 14% was exported to the US (8,600 tonnes).
Ireland imported 104,500 tonnes of potatoes in 2024, with a value of almost €67 million. There were also 133,500 tonnes of prepared potatoes imported, valued at €245 million. In addition, Ireland imported 44,700 tonnes of onions (valued €40.5 million), 28,800 tonnes of carrots/turnips (valued €27 million), 28,000 tonnes of tomatoes (valued €60 million) and 21,000 tonnes of cabbage (valued €30 million) in 2024.
In 2024, Ireland exported 57,500 tonnes of mushrooms, with a value of €174 million. There were 11,800 tonnes of potatoes exported, valued at €10 million and 13,000 tonnes of prepared potatoes exported worth €34 million.
| '000 tonnes | €million | |
| Potatoes prepared | 133.535 | 245.11 |
| Potatoes | 104.536 | 66.537 |
| Onions | 44.734 | 40.49 |
| Carrots turnips salad beet | 28.79 | 26.846 |
| Tomatoes | 28.315 | 60.013 |
| Cabbage | 21.175 | 30.035 |
| Lettuce | 15.744 | 27.733 |
| Cucumber | 10.457 | 17.172 |
| Mushrooms | 4.89 | 12.938 |
Exports of bovine, sheep, pig meat and poultry were valued at almost €3.9 billion in 2024. Bovine meat account for 74% of this total value. There were 446,000 tonnes of bovine meat and offal exported, with a value of almost €2.9 billion. Figure 6.3 below highlights the relatively high value per tonne of bovine meat in comparison to that of sheep, pig and poultry.
| '000 tonnes | €million | |
| Bovine meat and offal | 446 | 2877 |
| Pig meat and offal | 192 | 493 |
| Sheep meat and offal | 53 | 394 |
| Poultry | 54 | 101 |
Irelands’ imports of bovine, sheep, pig meat and poultry were valued at €695 million in 2024. Poultry imports valued at €286m accounted for almost 41% of meat imports. There were 78,000 tonnes of poultry and 55,000 tonnes of pig meal and offal imported in 2024.
The UK was Ireland’s largest export market for meat products in 2024, with exports valued at almost €1.6 billion. Bovine meat account for 83% of meat exports to the UK, at €1.3 billion. France was the second largest market for these products, with exports of €489 million. Bovine meat comprised 68% of the meat exports to France., with a value of €335 million.
In 2024, Ireland exported 246,000 tonnes of butter and 296,000 tonnes of cheese. Exports of butter, cheese, milk and yogurt were valued at €3.8 billion. Butter exports comprised 43% of the total value of these dairy exports at €1.7 billion. The Netherlands was the largest export market for butter, cheese and milk, with exports valued at €916m. Ireland’s second largest market for these products was the UK, with exports of €801 million. The US was the largest export market for butter, with exports valued at €486 million.
Ireland also exported infant formula valued at €822 million in 2024. China, the US, the UK and France were the four largest markets for this product. Infant formula exports to China, comprised 27% of this export market, and were valued at €220 million. Ireland’s yogurt and kephir exports were valued at €107 million.
Ireland’s imports of milk amounted to €439 million in 2024, with €398 million (91%) imported from the UK. Imports of cheese were valued at €290 million, with €110 million (38%) also coming from the UK.
| Imports | Exports | |
| Yogurt/Kephir | 75.742 | 106.627 |
| Milk | 439.463 | 740.135 |
| Infant formula | 20.389 | 822.373 |
| Cheese | 289.755 | 1411.194 |
| Butter and diary spreads | 55.214 | 1653.155 |
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