BBC News | Northern Ireland | Beef industry gets jobs boost

BBC News Online: UK: Northern Ireland

Tuesday, October 19, 1999 Published at 20:39 GMT 21:39 UK

Beef industry gets jobs boost
Almost 80 new jobs are being created in the beef processing industry in Northern Ireland.

Linden Foods in Dungannon, County Tyrone is undertaking a Ł5m investment backed by the Industrial Development Board.

The boning hall at Linden Foods, which was formerly know as Granville Meat, is now busy packing beef for supermarkets.

It is a far cry from the situation over the last few years in which many similar companies have struggled to survive.

Redundancies during beef ban

Around 100 people were laid off at the firm during the BSE crisis when there was a ban on the export of beef.

Therefore, replacing the orders and rebuilding the workforce has taken time.

But now the company says it is ready to take the next step forward.

Chairman of Linden Food, Derek Shaw said: "With quotas in Europe the product is limited, we can't get any extra volume.

"Therefore to expand our business we must add value to what we actually have.

"It means further processing each individual animal and each individual cut into small packages ready for the housewife to purchase."

Following the lifting of the beef export ban, the company is once again processing beef for European supermarkets.

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However, the firm cannot get enough local cattle to fulfil the order and are having to use some cattle imported from the Republic of Ireland.

But Economy Minister John McFall said the government was addressing the problem.

"Everyone expects us to do more. What the government is doing is responding to the problems on the ground.

"We will work together on that particular issue. It is a very difficult issue. Everyone has recognised that."