Bord Bia, the Irish food board, has mounted a major campaign at the Anuga food and drink trade fair, in Cologne, Germany in mid-October, to boost exports to euro zone markets because of the difficulties of trading in Britain.
Ibec has predicted exports could fall by as much as €1 billion this year.
Irish food and drink exports have been hit by the depreciation of sterling and the global downturn. They fell for the first time last year by 6.5 per cent to just under €8.2 billion.
Bord Bia is hopeful that there is potential for growth in the continental European markets, which represent almost one-third of Irish food and drink exports.
