Dairygold’s new Jarlsberg cheese facility in Mogeely, Co. Cork will become an international centre of excellence for cheese production in the coming years, according to Dairygold.
Dairygold and TINE, Norway’s largest farmer-owned dairy co-op, have partnered to develop the new facility, where production is to commence in 2019.
The new facility will manufacture Jarlsberg, Norway’s best known cheese brand, for export to Europe, the US and Australia.
Norwegian Agriculture Minister, Jon Georg Dale and the Chief Executive of TINE, Hanne Refsholt, yesterday (Wednesday 9) visited Mogeely in Co. Cork to view the site of the proposed new cheese production facility.
Dairygold has been manufacturing Jarlsberg cheese, on behalf of TINE, at its own cheese production facility at Mogeely since 2013.
This new dedicated Jarlsberg facility will facilitate a significant increase in production capacity.
To mark the occasion, Norwegian Minister Dale joined with the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to plant an oak tree on the site of the new Jarlsberg premises as a symbol of future strong cooperation between the two countries and companies.
Minister Creed said that this is a very exciting development demonstrating how world renowned dairy brands like Norway’s Jarlsberg cheese can work with world renowned dairy processors like Dairygold to create added value for our respective dairy sectors.
This investment will undoubtedly drive export opportunities for both businesses and marks a significant endorsement of Mogeely as an international centre of excellence for cheese production.
TINE Chairman, Trond Reierstad said that TINE has had a long and successful relationship with Dairygold and when TINE needed to develop EU production facilities for its Jarlsberg exports Mogeely was an obvious choice for that investment.
“We have ambitious plans to grow our Jarlsberg exports and this will require high standards of commitment and quality which Dairygold has always demonstrated.”
Dairygold Chairman, James Lynch said that TINE’s decision to invest in Mogeely is a testament to the excellent standards of dairy processing here and the high quality of its milk supply.
“Jarlsberg is a world-class cheese and we look forward to assisting TINE in growing its international sales. I’m confident that the proposed new Jarlsberg facility at Mogeely is just the beginning of the next phase of a long and fruitful partnership between two farmer owned businesses.”