World News: More than 400 jobs are at risk at an Arla site in Leicestershire in the UK as the firm plans to move the operations to a new dairy in Buckinghamshire. Arla processes about 3.2 billion litres of milk a year with a turnover of £2bn sterling. It is the UK’s largest dairy company.
The dairy giant behind the Cravendale and Lurpak brands is set to close its Ashby-de-la-Zouch dairy and distribution facility by April 2014.
The proposed move could result in the loss of up to 370 jobs. Arla is now consulting with workers affected by the plans.
It is intended raw milk will transfer from the Ashby site over a phased period, starting in October 2013 as the one billion litre fresh milk processing facility at Aylesbury nears completion. Milk will continue to be collected, as usual, from farms supplying the dairy and be delivered to Arla’s other processing sites. However, the company may outsource its distribution function to a third-party provider, it has been reported.
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