Food minister visits chip factory

HORTICULTURE and Food Minister Brendan Smith yesterday visited Ballymoney Foods in Co Antrim, which is the only chip making factory on this island.

The factory was bought earlier this year by a large consortium of farmers from both north and south at a time when the processing plant was in danger of being lost.

It currently processes approximately 360 tonnes of raw potatoes each week which equates to 180 tonnes of processed chips. It aims to almost double this output but the conclusion of contracts with supermarkets will be crucial to achieving this.