May 4, 2009
Irish poultry sector to boost local consumption of domestic chickens
The Irish food board, Bord Bia, and the poultry industry have partnered to promote the domestic consumption of local chickens.
Three-quarters of all chickens produced in Ireland are consumed on the domestic market, with the remaining exported mainly to Britain. But chicken imports were valued at EUR276 million (US$368 million) in 2008.
The promotion campaign aims to encourage consumers to look for the Bord Bia quality mark when purchasing chicken.
New figures for March showed a 13-percent increase in the volume of overall chicken retail sales in Ireland compared to 2008.
Ireland consumes 29 kg per capita a year, with poultry meat accounting for nearly 30 percent of total meat consumption, but imports are pressurizing the local poultry sector, according to Bord Bia.
Chicken imports in 2008 totalled 74,000 tonnes, and accounted for about 90 percent of chickens used in the foodservice sector.
