The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, has announced details of 19 capital investment projects, which have been awarded Government grant assistance of over €114m.
The projects come under the dairy investment fund and which will generate an estimated capital spend of €286m in the Irish dairy sector.
This is a key element of the minister’s plan for the agri-food sector as set out in the AgriVision 2015 Action Plan.
Ms Coughlan said she was certain that the provision of the Government grant assistance would stimulate the necessary investment in the sector to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the dairy industry here.
The minister said she expected the dairy investment fund to deliver on two main areas, the most significant of which will be increasing the production of added value products.
The second major impact will be in the delivery of cost efficiency programmes.
Among the co-ops and companies to receive grants are Glanbia, Kerry, Dairygold, Lakelands, Tipperary, Monaghan, Wexford, Carbery, Newmarket, Arrabawn, Glenisk and J&L Grubb.
