£70m is to be invested in a new cheddar processing factory in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
The investment in the facility at Dunmanbridge is being made by the Northern Ireland dairy co-op Dale Farm.
"Dale Farm has built a strong reputation as a leader in cheddar production, and thanks to our reputation for quality, sustainability and consistency, we are seeing strong customer growth in the category," said Nick Whelan, group chief executive at Dale Farm.
"We are already exporting to 40 countries, and with this investment we want to build on that momentum and future proof our operation at Dunmanbridge for decades to come."
The investment is one of the biggest ever in Northern Ireland's agri-food industry.
It is hoped that the plant will be up and running in February of next year, with work already under way.
The project will increase the site's cheese capacity by 20,000 tonnes per year, while also expanding its whey protein concentrate capacity.
Advanced energy efficient technologies combined with new production processes are expected to reduce the site’s carbon footprint by an estimated 4,500 tonnes per year when compared against milk powder production.
"We have been granted a patent for cheddar produced at the site and are onboarding new technologies and digital transformation," said Mr Whelan.
"We’re also investing in sustainability and as a result of this expansion our carbon footprint will see a significant reduction, marking another important milestone on our journey towards net zero."
