Key facts
- Slaney Flour, a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd., is building a new flour mill.
- The mill, located in Ballycarney, County Wexford, will have a capacity of 300 tonnes per day.
- The project aims to bring more flour production back to Ireland.
- Ireland currently imports approximately 260,000 tonnes of flour annually.
Slaney Flour, a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd., has commenced construction on a new flour mill in Ballycarney, County Wexford. The facility, which will have a daily capacity of 300 tonnes, aims to increase domestic flour production and reduce Ireland's reliance on imported flour.
Hemelter Ireland is part of the German-based Hemelter Mühle group, which has been milling flour since 1892 and supplies approximately 40,000 tonnes of flour to Irish bakeries annually. Ballycarney Grain, operated by brothers Andrew and Raymond Kavanagh, manages a tillage farm and sources grain from around 150 farmers in the South-East region.
Irish officials, including Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon TD, and Minister James Browne TD, attended the groundbreaking ceremony. They highlighted the project's significance for strengthening supply chains, enhancing food security, and supporting the local economy and tillage farmers. Mark Christal, Executive Director of Enterprise Ireland, noted the investment's importance for Ireland's food infrastructure and the indigenous food sector, which generates approximately €1.1 billion in annual turnover.