Agri-food exports are “vital” in helping the European Union (EU) emerge from the economic crisis, EU Agriculture & Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Ciolos told the Oxford Farming Conference this week.

Mr Ciolos, who shared a platform with Irish Farm Minister Simon Coveney and National Farmers’ Union president Peter Kendall, said EU quality, taste and tradition was a “major asset” when it comes to marketing the products around the world. “EU norms on food safety and better sustainability are very important for increasing exports outside the EU,” he said. “I have proposed to treble the budget for EU promotion in the coming years especially on non-EU markets. From my recent visits to China, Japan and South Korea, I gather that ‘made in Europe’ is a very useful message.”