UK food firm 2 Sisters Food Group is to cut around 200 jobs at its Coupar Angus poultry facility in Scotland.
The company said today (21 November) an “over-supply” of poultry in Scotland and a decline in the UK poultry market due to changes in consumer demand have made “the situation unsustainable”.
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“At Letham, we have worked hard to secure a future for the site, and we’ve found a buyer who will tap in to new niche market opportunities, where it will much more competitive in the market place,” a spokesperson for the company said.
“In turn, we are working with our colleagues to maintain a viable operation at our factory in Coupar Angus, which will allow us time to create a more competitive environment as we look to strengthen Scottish sales and build demand for Scottish chicken.”
2 Sisters will cut up to a third of its workforce at the Coupar Angus plant, which employs around 658 staff. The firm took over the facility from Vion earlier this year.
“Today we are setting out a rescue plan for Scotland that will help secure the viability of the poultry industry and give us a better opportunity for future growth and success,” the spokesperson said. “Taking no action would put the future of our industry in Scotland at serious risk.
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By GlobalData“These announcements today will help secure our business for the longer term and put us in a stronger position for investing in the future when conditions are right.”
This is the second announcement on job cuts for 2 Sisters this week. On Tuesday the firm revealed it had closed its poultry facility in Suffolk resulting in around 318 jobs being lost.
Last month, parent company Boparan Holdings reported a fall in full-year earnings and operating margins due to an increased focus on proteins, the “transformational” acquisition of Vion’s business in the UK and the fallout of the horsemeat scandal.
