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Ornua, the owner of Kerrygold, has announced a new €40 million development at Kerrygold Park, its butter production facility in County Cork, Ireland. The investment underpins Kerrygold’s plans to become Ireland’s first €2 billion food brand – it is already the country’s most successful food export – and will be used to support the growing global demand for Kerrygold, including in the US where it is the ‘number two’ butter brand. Kerrygold Park’s butter production facility includes two butter churns and ten packing lines for a range of more than 50 different product formats, which are available in more than 60 markets globally. The investment has increased Kerrygold Park’s total cream processing capacity to up to 80,000 tonnes of butter per year, equating to over 1 million packs per day. As a result of the investment, which has received funding support through Enterprise Ireland, Ornua has expanded its employment at the facility by 20%, opening 30 new jobs. Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said: “Irish dairy farming families work tirelessly to produce the world-class milk which makes Kerrygold a world-famous dairy brand. This strategic investment, which was part financed by the Government’s Capital Investment Scheme for the Agri Food processing sector, will help to ensure Kerrygold has the world-leading processing capabilities needed to continue to grow the brand and generate value for the community of Irish dairy farming families which it represents.” Aidan O’Driscoll, Ornua Co-operative chair, added: “We are passionate about growing the brand’s global status further and focused on safeguarding the value it returns to the Irish dairy sector through the premiumisation of Irish dairy. Our strategic development of Kerrygold Park is central to this ambition and will support the next phase of growth for Kerrygold on its journey to become Ireland’s first €2 billion food brand.”