Moy Park to invest £10M, creating 100 jobs

The installation of a new cutting line, processing equipment and refrigeration chilling technology at the Ashbourne plant is expected to boost capacity to more than 1M birds a week.

The major investment will also increase the Ashbourne hatchery’s capacity to 1.2M in order to meet increasing demand for locally sourced poultry products.

Moy Park UK and Ireland director Alan Gibson said:  “This is a really exciting development for Ashbourne which will see the hatchery and the factory transformed into state-of-the art facilities employing the most technologically advanced equipment.​

‘Multimillion pound investment’​

“This multimillion pound investment will meet the highest standards of animal ​welfare, hygiene and biosecurity.”​

As the poultry processor announced the investment, Gibson stressed its commitment to product quality, innovation and service for consumers.

He said: “These investments are a very positive development for Ashbourne and there is a great feeling of optimism amongst the team as we position the business for continued growth.” ​

The investment is part of Moy Park’s wider growth strategy including significant investments in its farming and operational facilities.

Ramped up its output​

The Northern Irish poultry giant has ramped up its output, following last year’s announcement of a £170M expansion plan across its poultry processing sites.

The latest investment comes after former parent company Marfrig Global Foods sold Moy Park to Brazilian meat processing giant JBS this year.

The deal was an important step in JBS’s strategy to grow its portfolio of prepared and convenience products with a high value­-added portfolio.

Meanwhile, in the summer Moy Park announced the completion of the first phase of a £20M investment at its plant in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.