Dairygold invest €15.6m in R & D

By Pat O'Keeffe

Dairygold has announced plans to establish a new €15.6 million Applied Food Sciences R& D Centre at their Castle Farm site in Mitchelstown. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, made the announcement on Monday at a function attended by farmer members of the Dairygold regional committees and local politicians.

The project will receive substantial grant aid from Enterprise Ireland, although the precise amount has not been revealed. Due to the political pressure on the Government to respond to job losses borne by Mitchelstown in recent months, it is understood that the State's financial contribution is quite significant.

Dairygold chairman John Walshe said that the town of Mitchelstown should now "leave the past behind'' and look forward to a brighter future.

The new centre will involve increased collaboration with Teagasc Moorepark, the National Food Centre and Irish Universities. It will be operational by end 2007 and will create employment for 15 food science graduates which will double Dairygold's R & D staff complement from 15 to 30. The R & D Centre will have a capacity for a total of 50 R & D personnel and it is expected that this capacity will be reached post 2007.

Dairygold chief executive Jerry Henchy said that many food products of the future are likely to be consumed for the health and wellness benefits that they offer, as well as nutrition. He said that Dairygold is planning to achieve growth through innovation and the new R & D centre is a key element of that strategy.

Mike Feeney, Enterprise Ireland's Executive Director with responsibility for food, said the new Applied Food Sciences R& D Centre will be a "welcome addition to Ireland's food sciences research facilities and it will be an important driver of the commercialisation of the research work being carried out at Teagasc Moorepark and the National Food Centre in UCC.''

Minister Martin said that, post CAP reform, the future lies in the development of health enhancing food products through the application of science, technology and innovation.