DUBLIN: Poultry sales from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom (UK) grew once again in 2015, with a strengthening pound against the euro making sales ever more attractive.
The UK is Ireland’s most important market for food and drink exports, and is where 83% of the 109,000t of poultry that the country exported last year ended up. Bord Bia, the Irish food board, said in its annual round-up of sales that strong consumer demand had driven the increase.
Sterling became 10% stronger than the euro in 2015, helping exports become more competitive. The value of trade in poultry to the UK increased by 4%, driven by stronger shipments of processed poultry, offal and frozen poultry.
A “high proportion” of these products are redirected overseas, the report adds, in the form of speciality products such as chicken feet or gizzards.
While sales to the UK flourished, exports to the rest of Europe slowed to €33m (£25m). This trend was driven by increased production across the Continent and higher imports from Thailand.
Ireland produced 76.9 million head of poultry in 2015, a year on year increase of 6%, and imported 124,000t of poultry products. Domestic consumption was up some 5%.
