From July 8 to 10, 2026, the 17th China Dairy Expo & China Dairy Exhibition was held at the Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center. Organized by the Dairy Association of China, this exhibition is one of Asia's leading professional dairy events, attracting approximately 600 exhibitors.
Among the many participants, Ireland made a prominent appearance. The China team from Enterprise Ireland led several Irish agricultural technology companies to the venue to present their products and solutions directly to Chinese dairy farms, dairy enterprises, and distributors.
Industry Expos: The "Front Line" of Entering the Chinese Market
For Irish AgriTech enterprises, China represents a vast and important market, but also one that requires long-term dedication. Specialized trade shows like the China Dairy Expo often serve as the crucial first step in building connections with Chinese clients.
Exhibiting is far more than just setting up a booth. Companies can directly connect with potential distributors, dairy farms, and procurement representatives on-site to understand the real demands of the Chinese market while allowing local clients to intuitively see the value of Irish products. Compared to online communication, face-to-face interactions make it much easier to build trust.
Three Irish Companies and Their China Stories
The participating Irish companies represented various directions within agricultural technology:
- Inform Nutrition Ireland: Focuses on animal nutrition. Company representative Des Cronin shared their cooperation progress with Chinese distributors and outlined their key plans for the next stage. For companies of this nature, securing stable local partners is essential to unlocking the Chinese market.
- Celtic Sea Minerals: Regards China as the core of its Asian growth strategy. Company representative Séamus Callanan discussed why the Chinese market holds such a strategic position in the company’s global layout.
- Dairymaster: Brings farm management technology. Company representatives Fergus O'Meara and Lei Zhang introduced solutions such as DairyVue 360, demonstrating how they help large-scale dairy farms across China improve operational efficiency. This also reflects the growing trend of large-scale Chinese farms adopting digital and intelligent management tools.
Support from Government Agencies Behind the Scenes
The successful participation of these Irish enterprises was made possible through the support of Enterprise Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland’s China team has long assisted Irish companies entering the market by connecting resources, organizing event participation, and sharing industry insights. Simon Hao, who oversees AgriTech, and Tadhg O'Callaghan, Director for China, both attended the expo and shared their outlook on the opportunities for Irish AgriTech in China.
This ongoing institutional support transforms a single exhibition from a "one-off" event into a long-term strategy for market expansion.
What Does a Single Expo Leave Behind?
For both China and Ireland, the significance of an expo extends beyond three days of on-site communication.
It gives Irish enterprises a deeper understanding of the Chinese market while providing Chinese farms and dairy businesses with a wider range of technological choices from Ireland. More importantly, it turns "intentions to cooperate" into "face-to-face dialogues," laying a strong foundation for future distribution, technology introduction, and long-term collaboration.
For Irish enterprises looking to deepen their roots in China, industry expos offer a pragmatic starting point: build connections through participation, and leverage government support alongside local partners to gradually turn single exposures into sustainable, long-term business.