November 18, 2015
On the 10th of November 2015, Macra na Feirme, the Irish young farmers and rural youth organisation, and Ornua representatives visited the Ornua Deutschland manufacturing and packaging plant in Neukirchen-Vluyn, the home of Irish dairy in Germany.
The Ornua Deutschland head office, located on the iconic Kerrygoldstraße (Kerrygold Street), is responsible for the packing and distribution of butter, butter spreads and cheese to all leading retailers in both Germany and Austria. From its initial launch in Germany over 40 years ago, today Kerrygold is the No. 1 butter brand in Germany, selling over 200 million packets each year and is the brand leader for butter, spreads and cheese in Germany. The cream from 3,400 dairy farms supports the German Kerrygold buyer market. Given the success of Kerrygold’s iconic advertising and branding, for many Germans, Kerrygold is synonymous with Ireland.
Gisbert Kügler, Managing Director of Ornua Deutschland, comments:
“It is fantastic to welcome young Irish farmers to our Kerrygold headquarters here in Germany. These farmers represent the future of Irish dairy farming, whose commitment to excellence is the reason that Irish dairy products are acknowledged as first-class worldwide. What makes Irish farming unique is the way traditional farming skills are passed down through the years and married with the most modern technology as it emerges.”
Sean Finan, Macra National President, comments:
“The purpose of this trip is to expose young dairy farmers to the dairy industry in Germany and visit the Ornua Deutschland manufacturing and packaging plant in Neukirchen-Vluyn. Young farmers are keen to understand the extent of Ornua’s processing capacity and understand the Kerrygold brand. This trip is another way that Macra, through Ornua, provides the opportunity for young farmers to travel and to educate themselves in best practices in the industry. They can learn from the experience and use what they’ve learned to inform their farm practices at home.”
Kerrygold is owned by Ornua, Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products.