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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D. today welcomed the €33 million investment planned by Dairygold and supported by the Government to expand milk processing facilities in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. "The commitment of the leading dairy co-operatives to investing in the sector is fundamental to realising the 50% growth target in Food Harvest 2020. The Irish dairy sector has the capacity to achieve long-term sustainable growth and added value, drawing on a tradition of family farming and world class research " .

Dairygold is Ireland’s largest farmer owned business and the country’s second largest dairy processor, processing 950 million litres or 20% of Ireland’s milk pool to produce a range of cheese and dairy ingredients for export to more than 50 countries.

Following the abolition of EU milk quotas in April 2015 Dairygold’s 3,000 milk supplying Members have forecast to increase annual milk production by more than 50% by 2020. This equates to an increase of 500 million litres per annum and requires an expansion in Dairygold’s peak processing capacity.

The investment will establish a new six tonne/hour multi-purpose milk drying facility and a variety of infrastructure and plant enhancements at its Castlefarm site in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. It will increase Dairygold’s overall peak processing capacity and represents the conclusion of phase one of the Society’s Processing Capacity Plan to 2020.