The popularity of poultry products, both fresh and chilled, increased significantly last year, according to Bord Bia.
Some 52,000t (product weight) of fresh and chilled poultry were sold in Ireland during the 52 week period ending December 4 – an increase of 9% on year earlier levels.
Most of this increase can be attributed to chicken, with volumes purchased per shopping trip up by 8% and the frequency of purchasing increasing by 2%.
However, it must be noted that this increase is largely due to a lower average price/kg, Bord Bia’s Export Performance and Prospects 2016-2017 states.
Meanwhile, the number of broiler chicken slaughterings also increased in 2016, it shows, with the numbers processed to the year ending December 18 being up 10% on year earlier levels.
This brings the total number of slaughterings to 89m head.
Import and export import movements
The Bord Bia review and outlook also says that the volume of poultry imported into Ireland declined by over 7% in 2016, with some 120,000t (product weight) being imported.
This was largely due to reduced fresh and frozen imports from the UK and other EU markets.
This was primarily driven by lower export prices coupled with unfavourable exchange rates in key export markets.
One such market being the UK, which seen the value of the trade fall by 10% on the back of lower volumes of processed, poultry, poultry offals and frozen poultry couple with a significant reduction in unit prices.
Despite stronger export volumes, Bord Bia also says the value of exports to other European markets decreased to around €20m in 2016 due to lower unit prices.
This represents a decline of around 30% in value terms compared to 2015.
The main export markets were France and the Netherlands particularly for frozen and processed product, while some growth was recorded in trade to Spain albeit from a low base.