He warned that Irish poultry output has fallen back after the closure of processing plants and a consolidation of activity into a smaller number of operators. “We are facing a major challenge in terms of positioning of the industry for the future,” he told the Bord Bia Poultry and Egg Conference.

He said there is relentless competitiveness in the sector, with fresh poultry coming from elsewhere in the EU probably the main issue for Irish companies.

But they are also threatened by imports of large quantities of salted chicken, mostly from Brazil, which can now resume with very low customs duties payable, after the EU lost a case brought against it by the World Trade Organisation. As a result, the EU has concluded an agreement with Brazil on imports of salted poultry meat, preparations of turkey meat and cooked chicken meat.

Source: The Irish Examiner