Northern Irish-based meat processor Dunbia, has completed a deal to enter into a joint venture with Dutch-based Shannon Meats to drive forward the sales of Irish beef to customers in Europe.

The deal strengthens Dunbia’s position in mainland Europe, with a French trading division operational from a base in Paris since 2006. Dunbia is headquartered in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Dunbia group managing director Jim Dobson and Shannon Meats chief executive Ronnie Bosma outlined their plans to grow the business further.

“The venture with Shannon Meats brings us new expertise in marketing and selling beef as well as contacts with some key European customers. What Dunbia will bring is a link to farmers, primary processing and also expertise in retail packing beef. The best paying customers want to know where the beef comes from. We can tie together all the links in the supply chain,” said Dobson.

The current Shannon Meats business was established by Ronnie Bosma in 2008. They exclusively sell top conformation quality steer and heifer Irish beef, supplied by a number of companies throughout Ireland, including Dunbia.

Both Bosma and Dobson are keen to emphasise that there are no plans to change the current trading arrangements with Irish suppliers as a result of their joint venture. “Our suppliers are important to us. The existing business will stay where it is,” said Bosma.

He has a long history of links to Irish beef processing, having started working in Ireland in 1985 with the Horgan family business in Charleville, Cork, which was later sold to United Meat Packers and then on to Galtee Meats, which at the time was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dairygold. He later headed up the Galtee Meats business in Holland.

In 2008, this business ceased to trade, giving Bosma the opportunity to set up a new business in the form of Shannon Meats. It has an annual turnover of around €45m.

“I have always been focused and passionate about selling high quality Irish steer and heifer beef,” said Bosma. He maintains that it is a way of differentiating himself from competitors, with the beef industry in the Netherlands dominated by dairy breeds, a strong cow beef offering and boning halls supplying south American and Polish beef. When it comes to paying a premium for beef from outside of the Netherlands, the Dutch are probably more open-minded than consumers in Britain or Ireland. According to Bosma, the key to maintaining and growing the business is delivering a high quality, traceable product on time.