While ABP has yet to officially lodge notice of its recent acquisition with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), it has been in contact with both the CCPC and its European equivalent.

The Goodman-owned group is set to acquire a 50% share in Slaney Foods, which controls both Slaney Meats and Irish Country Meats.

In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, ABP said: “We are on track with the joint venture and both ourselves and [sellers] Linden have been in contact with the relevant authorities, including the CCPC and the European Directorate General for Competition.”

Notification of a merger or acquisition must be done by completing and submitting the merger notification form to the European Commission. The merger notification form specifies the information required from the notifying parties and provides guidance on issues relevant for making a notification.

The Goodman group is “going through the finer details and expects notifications to be sent to the relevant authorities within the next month”.

This is the last hurdle for Larry Goodman before he can claim ownership of 30% of the national kill, a figure farmers are very wary of.