Job losses expected in Dairygold’s milk processing sites
The co-op processes 190 million gallons of milk annually from 3,500 suppliers at four sites, two in Mitchelstown and one each in Mallow and Mogeely, which have a total workforce of around 600 people.
Chief executive Jerry Henchy told a Teagasc conference last November the co-op will look internally to see how to upgrade some assets, to move from four sites to two or one.
“We will benchmark the capital costs of all investments against acting in a federated co-operative processing manner with our fellow processors and we will move without pride or prejudice in this direction of shared processing facilities if it serves our purpose best,” he said.
A weekend report that Dairygold had pulled plans to lay off 800 staff in milk processing was discounted by the company.
However, it confirmed the analysis of its milk processing options and plant configurations is ongoing.
Tim Healy, head of the co-op’s milk processing division, said all options are being investigated so the final plan is right.
Dairygold recently announced it was ending primary pig processing with the loss of 170 jobs in Mitchelstown and another 100 in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, bringing the number of jobs shed by the co-op in the last year to more than 1,100.
Mr Henchy said a lot of other painful decisions have to be made to ensure the co-op has the most efficient means of processing raw materials that allows it to compete.
