Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine launched the The Irish Whisky Association (IW) today, announcing that the Irish Whiskey sector will invest over €1 billion in Ireland over the next 10 years while 15 new distilleries are being developed across the country. He called the potential for export expansion “a significant mark of confidence in our economic future.”
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said, “The launch today of the Irish Whiskey Association is a sign of the industry’s shared vision [...] We can be proud of the quality, craft and heritage, which Irish Whiskey epitomises and look forward with excitement to the future of the industry.”
Irish whiskey exports have grown by 220% since 2003 and constitutes 28% of total beverage exports from Ireland worth €350million. Currently Ireland exports six million cases to 77 countries mainly the UK, USA, France, Germany and Russia. The IW aims to double that figure by the year 2020 and quadruple it by 2030 to 24 million cases. It also plans to create a further 1,500 jobs within the industry by 2025.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Paul Campbell.
