Green light for new meat giant
A deal which will see one meat company handle approximately 900,000 cattle and 2.6 million sheep annually in the UK and Ireland was given the go ahead by the regulators this week.
The strategic partnership and acquisition agreement which was announced in May of this year between Dawn Meats and Dunbia will see the new company dealing with 30,000 British and Irish farmers who will supply the grass-fed cattle and lamb processed at nine Irish and 15 British plants.
The combined UK businesses will trade as Dunbia and will be managed by the company’s former boss Jim Dobson as chief executive, and Dawn Meats chief executive Niall Browne as executive chairman.
Announcing the move and revealing the company’s new brand and logo Browne said: “We are very pleased to have successful- ly concluded this process and can now look to deliver the benefits that we believe this transaction will bring for our customers, staff and suppliers.
“The combined businesses in the UK are highly complementary, and will offer customers regionally sourced solutions for both beef and lamb from 15 facilities across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
With three plants in Scotland – at sites in Saltcoats, Ayr and Elgin – NFU Scotland was keen that existing processing capacity – and a degree of competition within the market – was maintained.
“It is critical to the sustainability of the Scottish red meat sector that, at least, the current level of processing capacity is retained in Scotland,” said the union’s livestock policy manager, John Armour.