Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector suffered a loss of 485 jobs yesterday with the announced closure of a food-processing plant and a thread company.
Farm Fed Chickens in Coleraine, Co Derry, is to close with the loss of nearly 400 jobs. Almost a quarter of the workforce come from Poland.
Barbour Coates, near Lisburn, Co Antrim, which supplied threads for the automotive and textiles industries, is also to close with the loss of 85 jobs. Both concerns blamed the closures on cheap imports, difficult trading conditions and rising costs.
Farm Fed Chickens, a family-owned concern, processed an estimated 15 million chickens a year and was making profits. However, it is understood that pressures on costs from main customers caused difficulties for the company.
Managing director Garth Henry said it was the firm's intention to start a consultation process with the workforce about its future. "Many of the staff work tirelessly in an effort to keep the company competitive in an increasingly difficult market place."
Farm Fed Chickens supplies poultry products to a number of retail outlets across Britain and Ireland, including Sainsbury's, Iceland and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Barbour Coates, which has a thread-making factory at Hilden, said yesterday it had begun talks with employees and union representatives.