Broken UK retail model offers Irish beef a chance

The UK is now seeing a resurgence of the independent abattoir sector which has grown steadily over the last 10 years and now processes over 70% of sheep, 45% of cattle, and 30% of pigs nationally.

This flies in the face of the dominance and growth of the large retailer sector, which in turn is served by a much smaller number of large meat processors, predominantly but not exclusively Irish. Much has changed however in the recent past. The purchasing strategy of the main retailers is to have one or two suppliers of their fresh meat and this has therefore concentrated meat processing into a small number of large processors.

I outlined the factors underlying these developments at the ICOS National Conference which had a large attendance of co-operative dairy, beef, and artisan food interests. The agrifood and rural business agenda is clearly alive and kicking in Ireland.