Moy Park, which is now owned by Brazilian meat giant JBS, will invest £4m (€5m) in its facilities at Craigavon, Northern Ireland. The investment will be in ready-to-eat cooked chicken production, which is a key growth area.

Moy Park is Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employer. Overall, it employs more than 12,000 people across its sites in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Keith Irvine, Moy Park’s supply chain director, said: “This investment further cements the company’s position as one of the most advanced producers of ready-to-eat products in the UK and Europe.”

Continuous in-line oven cooking and chilling technology will be installed at the facility, which will reduce energy consumption and increase processing efficiencies.

This investment follows a £20m (€25.5m) investment at the Dungannon facility last year.