Chairman's Statement

Greencore Group PLC
8 February 2001

GREENCORE GROUP PLC


CONTACT: MR. B.J. POWER       TELEPHONE [phone]
FAX [phone]


                            ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

                      CHAIRMAN'S SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENT


The year under review was one of considerable progress for your Group.
Strategically, we built on the acquisition of convenience food companies,
William Rodgers Foods and The Roberts Group, by announcing the company's most
significant development to-date - the acquisition of Hazlewood Foods.

Last year again saw growth in operating profits in our Food and Ingredients
and Agribusiness sectors with a decline in profitability in Sugar which was
adversely impacted by changes in the E.U. sugar regime.

In relation to the current trading year, the Irish Sugar processing campaign
produced 219,000 tonnes of sugar. This was 23,000 tonnes over a reduced quota
of 196,000 tonnes despite a number of adverse factors, including poor weather
conditions. The reduction in quota and the difficulty of passing on any
inflationary cost increases in a market which is increasingly priced on a
pan-European basis will impact sugar profits in the current year.


In Food and Ingredients, the bread market in the U.K. has not improved from
the difficulties of the latter part of the prior year with increases in
distribution costs also adversely affecting margins. The outlook for malt in
the latter part of the current year and into next year has improved.
Paramount's new pizza topping facility is scheduled to commence start-up of
operations in the fourth quarter of the current year to meet increased demand.


It is less than a month since we acquired control of Hazlewood. We have
already been very active and steps taken include the re-organisation of
management structures and accountability; the decision to close Hazlewood's
head office in Derby prior to the end of March and the disposal of the
loss-making paper operations of F.H. Lee. While much more remains to be done
to re-focus and revitalise the Hazlewood business, we are confident that the
acquisition represents a significant opportunity to enhance the future growth
profile and shareholder value of the enlarged Group.



B.M. Cahill

Chairman

GREENCORE GROUP PLC,

ST. STEPHEN'S GREEN HOUSE,

EARLFORT TERRACE,

DUBLIN 2.                                   8th February, 2001.