Irish Dairy Board agrees to sell Belgian cheese-packing operation

The Irish Dairy Board has agreed to sell its Belgian continental cheese-packing operation, IDB Belgium, to the Dutch agri co-op Royal FrieslandCampina.

The Genk-based facility has a yearly turnover of €100m. Its production focus on Dutch type cheeses such as Emmenthal and Gouda will better suit the company, with the IDB likely to make further strategic overseas acquisitions as part of its post-2015 dairy expansion plans.

IDB chief executive Kevin Lane said: “The sale of our continental cheese-packing business to Royal FrieslandCampina is another significant strategic step for the Irish Dairy Board.