Irish beef processors are becoming increasingly concerned with the availability of raw material for processing and the general decline in the national cattle herd.

Speaking at last week’s Bord Bia meat marketing seminar in Laois on the outlook for the sector, ABP managing director of Ireland and Poland Kevin Cahill said: “I’m optimistic that the demand will be there, but I’m less optimistic that the supply will be there. It’s critical we have the numbers to support our customer base and demand.”

His comments come as ABP Linden announced this week its intention to cease retail packing at its Dungannon facility, putting 338 jobs at risk.

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Kepak also announced last week that 100 jobs were at risk as part of a review of their boning hall operations in Clonee, Co Meath.

“We have a lot of things to be positive about. That said we have come through a lot of challenges over the last decade in the sector.

“We had plant-based for a while, most recently we had price inflation that everybody thought would knock us on our back, but the beef and sheep sector have proven very resilient,” Cahill said.

“I think it’s important to remind our policy makers of the need for food security and the fact that it’s not acceptable to outsource our food security,” he added.

He also spoke about the challenges that exist within the sector in relation to market access.

“There is a big difference between a market being open and being able to do business there. When you get locked out for 18 months it kills the momentum,” he said.