Report tips 40 per cent growth for NI food industry
Northern Ireland's food industry could experience a growth of 40 per cent over the next decade, according to a report commissioned by the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA).
The research - conducted by management consultancy firm Goldblatt McGuigan - predicts that over the next ten years, the food and drink industry in Northern Ireland could be bringing in annual revenue of up to £4.5 billion a year.
Food jobs
The report predicts good news for food industry professionals and hopefuls in Northern Ireland too, as up to 15,000 new food jobs are expected to be created over the course of the decade. This would bring the total number of people employed in food jobs throughout the country by the year 2020 to a whopping 107,000.
Goldblatt McGuigan based these optimistic predictions on current figures, which showed that Northern Ireland's food and drink industry showed growth of 3.3 per cent last year despite the devastating after-effects of the recession.
Speaking for the NIFDA, chairman Tony O'Neill commented on the findings, concluding that:
The research - conducted by management consultancy firm Goldblatt McGuigan - predicts that over the next ten years, the food and drink industry in Northern Ireland could be bringing in annual revenue of up to £4.5 billion a year.
Food jobs
The report predicts good news for food industry professionals and hopefuls in Northern Ireland too, as up to 15,000 new food jobs are expected to be created over the course of the decade. This would bring the total number of people employed in food jobs throughout the country by the year 2020 to a whopping 107,000.
Goldblatt McGuigan based these optimistic predictions on current figures, which showed that Northern Ireland's food and drink industry showed growth of 3.3 per cent last year despite the devastating after-effects of the recession.
Speaking for the NIFDA, chairman Tony O'Neill commented on the findings, concluding that:
"Government must put support for the food and drink industry at the heart of its economic development strategy."
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