Dutch nutrition company Royal Numico NV has outsourced its base milk powder production in Macroom, Ireland, to Dairygold Co-Operative Society.
Under a long-term agreement, Dairygold will acquire the Irish manufacturing plant – including the transfer of all employees – in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Numico vice-president of corporate communications, Michiel Quarles van Ufford, told just-food that Irish-based Dairygold is better placed to double the capacity of the factory, but did not disclose a fee for the acquisition.
He said: “The advantage is that Dairygold is closer to the cows and closer to the factory in Macroom.”
Dairygold is Ireland’s largest farmer owned food company and multi-purpose agribusiness, employing approximately 2,000 people.
Numico, which employs around 13,500, said in a statement that it wants to further focus its production platform on higher value-added ingredients and technologies. The company still has base milk powder production plants in China, Poland and Indonesia.
