Approval granted for Glanbia’s milk powder development plant

An Bord Pleanála has granted permission for Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd’s (GIIL) proposed milk powder development at the IDA site at Belview, Co Kilkenny.

GIIL currently employs about 500 people, including 320 staff at its Ballyragget facility. It expects to employ a further 70 at the new facility at Belview. It is projected up to 450 people will be employed during the construction phase.

GIIL chief executive, Jim Bergin, said: “We welcome the Bord Pleanála decision which will enable GIIL to progress its milk expansion plans and to commence the development of what will be a flagship dairy processing facility.

“We are investing circa- €180m at Belview and our existing facilities, which will both support on-farm growth and provide a major jobs and economic boost locally and nationally.”

A recent economic impact study completed by Ernst & Young estimates that milk expansion in GIIL will boost the Irish economy by about €500m. As such, the new state-of-the-art facility will place Ireland at the forefront of dairy quality and technology and will increase the country’s attractiveness to more international food customers.

Meanwhile, IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey said this new plant was a crucial starting point to the development of the necessary additional processing capacity to cater for milk producers’ post-2015 expansion plans.

“This approval of the Belview plant is obviously excellent news for Glanbia milk producers, but I believe it is also good news for all dairy farmers,” he said.

“I urge Dairygold and GIIL to sit down and re-examine their processing capacity development plans with a view to coordinating them better, in order that they respond to the reality of increased milk production without duplication or waste of scarce farmer resources.

“I am also mindful that talks are ongoing between GIIL and Wexford Milk Producers, and I would urge all milk processors in the region and beyond to remain open to co-operation and joint investment opportunities, in the best interest of farmers."