Poultry processor in biggest Northern Irish company

Moy Park, part of the Brazilian Marfrig Group and a leading poultry processor, is the biggest Northern Irish manufacturer. The company, headquartered at Craigavon, county Armagh turned over more than £1 billion and had pre-tax profits of over £24 million last year.

Moy Park's turnover is up almost two per cent in difficult trading conditions. Pre-tax profits rose to £24.4 million from £4.8 million the previous year.

The company was listed at number in a study by the Belfast Telegraph newspaper of the Top 100 companies. It was among 11 Northern Irish food and drink processors in the list.

The listing reflects the strength of food processing as Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing industry, employing a total of 20,000 people in processing and a further 80,000 across the supply chain including packaging and transport.

More than one sixth of the private sector workforce is employed in Agri-Food. Every job in the industry provides a further two throughout the economy.

Food and Drink in Northern Ireland generates sales worth over £4 billion in 2012.

Other food industry businesses in the top 100 were Dunbia (9), the biggest Northern Irish beef and lamb processor; Fane Valley Co-op (23), which includes Linden Foods, a red meat processor; Manderley Foods (29), the Tayto crisps business; United Dairy Farmers (51), which owns Dale Farm dairy products; Foyle Food Group (58), a redmeat processor; Karro (59), a leading pork processor; Coca Cola (63); Hilton Meats (70), another meat processor; Diageo (83), which produces Bushmills Whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur in Northern Ireland; and Dairy Produce Packers (89), a European leader in cheese slices.

The list also includes major food retailers including Tesco (2); ASDA (4); ainsbury's (9);Marks and Spencer (15); and Musgrave Group (61). Food and drink distributor SHS is listed at 57.