Chicken farmers hit by closure

“MY father put his heart and soul into the farm, he really put everything into this. It’s him I really feel sorry for.”

Shane Kiely of Aglish in west Waterford, one of dozens of farmers who supplied the doomed Cappoquin Chickens, remembers his parents, Paddy and Kay Kiely, investing huge amounts of themselves into building up their business.

With Tuesday’s announcement that the processing plant is to close, that business and others like it face an uncertain future. Since taking over, Shane spent a lot of time and money upgrading facilities to ensure high-quality produce as well as compliance with the many regulations.

“In 2003 we spent a lot of money putting up a chicken house and, at the moment, I’ve a shed put up for the EPA to store chicken litter. That cost about €50,000, and for the chicken house you’re looking at another €160,000. I’ve another five years to go on that so it’s hard to know what to do.”

Some salvation may be provided by his brother in Mayo, who supplies poultry to the Western Brand Chickens operation, but that would be limited to a couple of batches a year and would involve a huge amount of travelling.

“Otherwise, I may do something else, get something part-time. We’re all gutted really, but we have to keep the chin up.”

Paddy Kiely was the first farmer to put up a chicken house supplying Cappoquin Chickens when it was formed decades ago, succeeding smaller operations set up by Michael O’Connor Snr in the 1930s, and it’s a similar story with many family-run supply businesses around west Waterford and east Cork.

“It’s all doom and gloom right now and the whole area will suffer. There’s a fierce lot of people working for the company, directly and indirectly, and it’s a real pity it’s come to this. But one thing I’m not afraid of is work. I’m still young and will surely pick up something.”

Supplier Ned Morrissey, also the IFA’s poultry committee chairman, is pessimistic about the chances of other buyers being found for chickens being bred in the region.

“It’s just too far away,” he said, citing the distance from processors like Shannon Vale in Clonakilty, Western Brand in Mayo, and Manor Farm and Cootehill in Monaghan and Cavan.