Western Brand Chicken, the Mayo-based chicken processor, saw pre-tax profits fall by more than 20% in 2015 to just over €9m.

Operating profits in the business declined 22% to less than €9.1m, as profit margins shrunk from 13% in 2014 to just over 10% for the group’s 2015 financial year, which is still a very healthy profit margin by any measure.

Turnover in the business increased 3% to €89.5m in 2015. Shareholder funds in Western Brand Chicken increased €7.5m in the year to just under €36.2m.

Owned by the Lannon family, Western Brand Chicken operates from two state-of-the-art processing facilities located in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo and Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh. Primary processing takes place at the Ballyhaunis site, which has the capacity to process about 550,000 chickens per week. The Lisnaskea site produces more added-value breaded chicken products.

Employing almost 400 people, Western Brand Chicken sources chickens from 110 commercial poultry farmers.