Northern Irish poultry producer Moy Park has reportedly announced that it will temporarily close a key production line in its Ballymena hatchery in Antrim until November.
The plant is one of the group’s largest in the reason.
According to reports, the group will temporarily stop processing live birds due to 'challenging market conditions'.
It is believed that the group does not intend to resume the process until January 2020, while it will continue to cut, further process, and pack other BBQ products.
Job Woes
‘We are currently working with our colleagues and their representatives, doing our utmost to minimise the impact of this proposal on our excellent workforce, including offering temporary transfers to other shifts and roles,’ the group said in a statement.
‘We will also be working closely with our farming partners throughout the process to manage this temporary reduction in poultry requirement.’
Unions in the North fear that up to 400 jobs could be in danger at the plant, reports show.
Moy Park, which is owned by US-based Pilgrim’s Pride, employs about 1,700 people at the plant, and another 3,500 from other Northern Irish operations.
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