Donegal Meat Processors (DMP), a wholly owns subsidiary of the Foyle Food Group (FFG), posted an operating profit of €4.451m for 2021, up from €1.894m in 2020. DMP turnover increased from €103.657m to €113,328m and gross profit increased from €6.183m to €10.446m. This leaves a healthy operating margin of 3.9%, up from 1.8% the previous year.

DMP, which trades as Foyle Donegal, is located in Carrigans, Co Donegal, and the only part of the group in the Republic of Ireland. The business employed 249 people during the year with staff costs of €7.351m and directors’ emoluments of €405,194 were recharged to the company having been made by a fellow group undertaking.

FFG is headquartered in Omagh which is the administrative centre for the FFG group. FFG also has abattoirs in Omagh and Derry in Northern Ireland, plus two in England and has a capacity to process 7,000 cattle per week across the group.

As well as slaughtering cattle, FFG also has deboning, retail packing and burger manufacturing facilities. It also has a rendering and anaerobic digestion plant.

The FFG exclusively handles cattle and is one of the most significant players in the industry after the big three of ABP, Dawn/Dunbia and Kepak. It is a significant supplier to supermarkets in Ireland, Britain and across Europe.

The Donegal factory has been to the forefront of opening the US market for beef in 2015 and secured approval for exporting to China in 2018.

While located in Donegal, the factory sources cattle throughout the Republic of Ireland and in the Irish Farmers Journal factory price leagues for 2021, it secured eight top places, one second and one third place.