Sales and volumes grow at Northern Ireland's Linden Foods

Linden Foods, the Northern Irish meat processor, has seen sales pass the £300 million mark as a result a rise in the price and volume of its products.

The growth comes in spite of the "particularly challenging trading conditions" the company said it had experienced following the horsemeat scandal, which were "likely to persist" until confidence returned to the beef market.

In the year to 30 September 2013, Linden Foods boosted turnover to £337.2 million from £283.9 million the year before.

It attributed its £53.2 million sales growth to a mixture of volume and price increases during the year, although pre-tax profits remained static at £4.2 million

Employee numbers were also boosted to more than 800 staff after Linden Foods, which is headquartered in Dungannon, county Tyrone, created 179 jobs in May 2013.

The job creation was part of a £5.6 million investment in its production facilities, with chairman Trevor Lockhart calling the move an "important part" of its long-term development.

During the year it also carried out a refurbishment of its Newcastle facility, which saw the plant increase production to six days a week.

The group, which is part of the Fane Valley Co-operative in Armagh, added that it would "continue its commitment to capital investment" despite the "challenges" facing the agricultural market.

The Linden Foods Group is comprised of Linden Foods Ltd, Slaney Foods and Irish Country Meats.

It has four bases across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, including plants in County Wexford and Navan.