Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
898. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the degree to which conditions in the poultry industry continue to be lucrative for producers; the degree to which efforts are ongoing to ensure the sustainability of the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39309/22]
View answerPoultry meat, which is a food high in protein, has seen an increase in demand in recent years.
Poultry throughput for 2021 was slightly down on 2020 (-1.1%) with a total of 110.4 million birds processed. The current average price of 242.67 cents/kg is the highest level seen in recent years, seeing an increase of just under 10 cents/kg on the previous month.
Poultry is normally reared under contract to processors, for a pre-agreed price, and therefore poultry producers are not typically subject to the same price fluctuations as other farmers.
CSO figures show that while the volume of exports fell by 29.3% to 94,295 tonnes in 2021, the value of Irish poultry exports for 2021 fell by 7.2% to just under €237m.
The UK (€181m) accounted for 76.5% of exports. France (€8.4m), Germany (€6.5m), Netherlands (€14.8m) and Ghana (€5m) also featured prominently as export destinations. Securing market access and diversifying trade remains a key aim for my Department. Developing market opportunities at home and abroad is one of the goals of Food Vision 2030.
As of April 2022 the year-to-date value of poultrymeat exports was 67.2% higher than the same period of 2021, at €106.8 million.
As in other meat sectors, global trade conditions will be crucial in determining the outlook for the Irish poultry sector over the medium to longer term.
I am aware of the pressures being faced by many in the agri-food sector due to the increase in input costs, exacerbated by the impact of the illegal war in Ukraine. The Department continues to monitor the markets and any impacts on the agri-food sector.
