Kepak, Dunbia and Irish Country Meats have confirmed they will be exhibiting at the Irish Farmers Journal Agri Careers Fair, which takes place in the RDS on Thursday 3 March. The three employers will be filling roles on the day, with Kepak in particular looking for graduates from all disciplines.

Last April, Dunbia announced it would create 209 jobs for Dungannon, most of which will be filled in 2016 and 2017. The company will no doubt be trying to fill some of these positions on the day as 100 are to be filled in 2016 alone. These jobs are primarily production and operation roles.

The recruitment drive is part of a £27m capital investment to create an intelligent boning hall and upgrade the company’s beef mince line and diced and burger line to increase productivity and support export growth. This investment in new production technology will create a centre of excellence for beef deboning, according to managing director of Dunbia Group Jim Dobson.

The meat processing sector is a particularly attractive one when it comes to jobs. In a survey conducted by the Irish Farmers Journal in November 2015, it was found that 876 jobs were created in 2015 alone across just six meat processing companies.

Meat processing employers also regularly lament a skills shortage in the sector.

Many more players in this sector will be announced as exhibitors over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on www.agricareers.ie.