The jobs will be created between now and 2019 at the new factory, which was opened last week (September 7) by the Irish minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
Commenting at the opening of the factory, Creed said: “With this impressive new facility, Lakeland Dairies will compete strongly in serving its existing long standing customers and will also access new markets.
“The new plant is a model of innovation and efficiency and is exemplary of the very high standards of food quality and production which our dairy industry is projecting across the world.”
The factory is the third milk drying plant at the Cavan site and will produce more than 160,000t of milk powder and 50,000t of butter a year.
Production capacity has now increased
The expansion saw the installation of a new 7t-per-hour milk dryer and evaporators. Total milk powder production capacity has now increased to 20t-per-hour.
Lakeland designed the development is designed to ensure that the co-operative is well positioned to take advantage of all future market opportunities for its milk producers.
The plant has the highest levels of efficiency including heat recovery systems, according to Lakeland, and its energy centre can also supply electricity back into to the national grid.
Chairman Alo Duffy said: “With this new facility Lakeland Dairies will compete at the forefront of the global dairy food ingredients industry.
“This development will underpin our further progress in a rapidly changing world of international trade where we have a heritage of over 120 years in dairy farming and an unstinting commitment to making the most excellent dairy products for all of our customers.”
‘Rapidly changing world’
The development was supported by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland – a government organisation that works to grow Irish business internationally.
Orla Battersby, head of Enterprise Ireland’s food division, said: “The development and expansion of the Lakeland plant is another important milestone in the growth of the Irish food industry, which is Ireland’s largest indigenous manufacturing sector.
“The opening of this new showcase plant reflects highly on the entire Irish dairy sector - pooling together innovation with best in class facilities which further leverages our strong international reputation in the sector.”
Lakeland Dairies processes over 1.2bn litres of farm produced milk each year into 240 value-added dairy foodservice products and food ingredients for export to more than 80 countries worldwide.
The company is supplied milk by 2,400 dairy farmers across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and employs more than 800 people.