Planned €25m beef slaughter plant set to be operational by 2012

THE €25 million beef slaughter plant to be developed in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, by two of the country’s leading meat groups, Dawn Meats and Kepak, is expected to be operational by 2012.

Kilbegggan Abattoir Services (KASL) will be independently managed and will operate the facility for both groups. The initiative is the first of its kind in the Irish meat industry. It is in keeping with both Government and Enterprise Ireland policy, which seeks to modernise the beef industry and render it more competitive internationally by concentrating processing in larger more cost efficient units.

The facility has been selected for financial support under the beef and sheep meat processing fund, an Enterprise Ireland managed scheme, on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It will be built and operated to world-class standards, with a slaughtering capacity of up to 200,000 head.