I was driving recently from Cavan to Donegal through Monaghan and Tyrone, and I remarked on the number of new poultry houses being built in the area.

It’s a sign of a thriving industry to see new sheds being built to meet a growth in demand for poultry products both north and south of the border.

Poultry farmers, like many other sectors, are enjoying a better 2024 compared to previous years with costs coming back a little and demand for poultry products strong.

Like other sectors it is not without its challenges, and while much of the talk around the Mercosur trade deal has been about the 99,000 tonnes of beef to come in at a reduced tariff, there is also 180,000 tonnes of South American chicken meat , most likely chicken breast meat also on the table as part of the trade deal.

Threat

This presents a huge threat to Irish poultry farmers, and chair of the IFA National poultry committee Nigel Sweetman was in Brussels this week to raise his concerns on the possible implications for Irish poultry farmers.

He’s worried about the equivalent standards not being imposed on the imported product and then undermining Irish poultry meat at a lower cost.

Irish poultry farmers have made huge investments in the last number of years to comply with European production directives on animal welfare and health, and the same rigor should be applied to any imported product.

Teagasc poultry specialist Rebecca Tierney goes through a timely review of biosecurity measures that should be in place on Irish poultry farms.

Avian flu

A case of avian influenza was identified in a buzzard in Co Galway last week. This was the first case recorded since September 2023 and will come as a massive worry to the Irish industry.

Joe Burke takes a look at poultry markets across the world and how Ireland could capitalise on an increased demand for poultry products.