Poultry trade ‘must face up to severe price competition’

THE poultry industry must face up to the pressures of severe price competition from lower-cost products from abroad, the Dáil was told during a debate on a decision by Castlemahon Food Products in west Limerick to axe 150 jobs.

The decision by Castlemahon, owned by O’Kane’s Poultry, Ballymena, Co Antrim, followed Kerry Group’s earlier announcement that it is to close Kantoher chicken processing plant, also in west Limerick, with the loss of 140 jobs.

Castlemahon, which processed about 10 million chickens last year, accounting for 15% of the national throughput, has indicated that it will retain 260 full-time jobs. The job losses are part of a major company restructuring programme designed to improve its cost base and to secure its future operation.