Farm money advice: Carbery keeps sustainability at heart of production processes
Carbery held open days for its suppliers and their families this week to mark 50 years since production commenced at the site in Ballineen, Co Cork.
Carbery Group is now owned by the four West Cork Co-ops of Lisavaird, Bandon, Barryroe and Drinagh, with milk suppliers of these Co-ops also having a shareholding.
The entity has grown and stretched both within its site in Ballineen but also across continents, with facilities in the UK, Brazil, America and Thailand and its ambitions don’t stop there.
As a Bandon Co-operative Milk society supplier, I had the pleasure of attending.
The turnout was huge, and a testament to the high regard that the shareholders have of the company.
Equally the fact that open days at Carbery are as rare as hen’s teeth, with the last open day held 30 years ago, meant farmers were keen not to miss the opportunity.
The tour allowed farmers to see first-hand how their milk is converted into cheese, whey protein, alcohol and other by-products.
The efficiency in the plant is extraordinary with automation of many processes such as cheese blocking, vacuum packaging, labelling, boxing and palleting.
And with the volumes of milk passing through the plant derived from the 101,000 cows within its catchment area, it’s clear that high production and efficiency are key to the success of the site.
Over 1,200 milk suppliers produce milk for Carbery, and the plant punches well above it’s weight turning out 25% of Ireland’s total cheddar cheese output.
The cheese manufacturing operation is impressive, with Carbery having the largest cheese Vats in Ireland.
Sustainability is also at the heart of the Carbery project, with energy recycled from one process to be used in the next.
Farmer suppliers have been provided with over 45,000 trees for planting on their farms over recent years, and Carbery are active in running pilot projects to measure and reduce farm carbon footprints.
Waste product is fed through an anerobic-digester which in turn supplies 8% of the site’s gas requirements.
The technology used in the Carbery manufacturing site is also cutting edge and has been so for decades.
Farmers learned how whey — the by-product of cheese manufacturing — is concentrated into whey cream by Carbery using micro, ultra and nano filtration.
Whey protein is an ingredient used infant formula, performance drinks for athletes, and dietary supplements for frail and recovering patients.
The by-product of making whey protein mainly containing lactose is in turn processed into ethanol and other alcohols for use in the food industry but also as bio-fuel.
The fact that Carbery can extract so much from the main ingredient, milk, means that Carbery’s farmer suppliers are getting as much value as possible extracted from their product and translates into the premium price the four West Cork Co-ops have delivered for the farmers for decades.
Over recent decades Carbery has expanded into the food ingredients business with extracts, essences and flavours now being a big part of their business.
It’s hard to imagine that the brave decision of the West Cork Co-ops some 50 years ago could have turned out to be as successful as it is.
The continued improvements, the focus of research and development and the willingness to diversify, to change its production to meet market demands, these are dynamic characteristics the company has possessed down through the years.
Wishing every success to Carbery for the next 50 years.
- Chartered tax adviser Kieran Coughlan, Belgooly, Co Cork.
- (086) 8678296
- www.coughlanaccounting.com
