Moy Park, the Irish and UK poultry processor, has increased its output to 5m chickens per week for the first time in the company’s 72-year history.
In the past six years the company has increased its output by 60%, growing from approximately 3.1m birds per week in 2009, it says.
Alan Gibson, Moy Park’s UK and Ireland Director says that this growth is attributed to an increased demand for locally sourced, high-quality chicken.
“The growth has been driven by demand from our customers and consumers who recognise Moy Park as a top-quality, innovative and service-orientated business.
“We continue to invest in our industry-leading agricultural base and our state-of-the-art processing facilities so we have the infrastructure in place to increase capacity to meet continued demand,” he said.
The poultry producer has 14 processing facilities across the UK, Ireland, Holland and France and works with over 800 farmers across Northern Ireland and England.
Moy Park has also embarked on a broiler expansion programme that will see 250 new poultry houses constructed in Northern Ireland.
“Our broiler expansion programme has been hugely successful adding to our farming estate, which is the most modern in the UK.
“This coupled with our continued investment in our processing facilities, positions us positively for future growth.
“Reaching 5m birds per week is a huge achievement and I want to thank all those involved in the planning, building and implementation of Moy Park’s fresh poultry supply chain,” Gibson said.