The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has called on Sofina Foods to provide clarity on its plans for throughput at its pig factory in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.

It emerged at the start of the year that a number of smaller suppliers and producer groups to the Cookstown plant had been told that their contracts would finish at the end of 2026. Reports at the time suggested the business was looking to take over 3,000 head off its weekly kill, allowing Sofina to cut labour costs and concentrate on supplying retail customers.

That news happened to coincide with a lecture given at Queen’s University Belfast by the chief executive of Sofina Foods Europe, Ash Amirahmadi, where he described NI agri-food as a “powerhouse” and emphasised the need to produce more food in the UK.

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Following on from that positive vision, the decision to inform some local suppliers their contracts would not be renewed came as “a major blow” said UFU deputy president Clement Lynch.

Demand

“We recognise that the pig market remains challenging, but there continues to be strong demand for pigs and there is no significant backlog within the system. Farmers are therefore questioning why these decisions are being made and, more importantly, what this means for the long-term future of their businesses,” he said.

The UFU met with Sofina Foods on 27 February, but despite repeated calls for a follow-up meeting with Amirahmadi, it is yet to receive a response.

“The lack of communication and follow-up is simply not acceptable,” said Lynch.