Dairy plant closes with 53 jobs lost

Lakeland Dairies is to cease production at Omagh, Co Tyrone, with the loss of 53 jobs.

The €411 million co-op expects to achieve €3 million savings in 2005 as a result. It will increase processing at other facilities with the diversion of up to 20,000 tonnes of powder requirement into alternative sites.

Lakeland Diaries employs 600 people and operates across thirteen counties, on a cross-border basis, processing over 700 million litres of milk annually into a range of value added dairy products and food ingredients.