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In an interview with RTÉ, Vincent Carton the managing director of poultry company, Manor Farm said that he believes Brexit could work to the advantage of the Irish poultry industry.
Carton pointed out that up to 43% of chicken in Ireland is imported and that the majority of the imported chicken travels from the Netherlands across the UK.
Therefore, any potential delay due to the introduction of border checks would make the Irish domestic market more reliant on Irish chicken.
Carton gave the example of new measures being introduced at the port in Dover, which now required truck drivers to show their passport at customs check.
This had resulted in a 25-mile queue of traffic. “Imagine how long it’d take if they had to check in the back of the truck as well?” Carton said.
In Ireland, 70m chickens are produced annually. However, the industry is seriously affected by cheap imports and the high cost of raw feed ingredients.
This year saw a deal between Manor Farm and Scandi Standard, a Nordic producer of chicken producers.
The deal is estimated to be worth €70m and Vincent Carton and his brother Justin, received a 10% share of Scandi Standard.
'Chaotic' Brexit hangs over Ireland
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