Three months on from the fire at Glenisk’s organic dairy processing unit in Killeigh, Co Offaly, the company is building a new unit which is set to be finished in the new year.

Yoghurt production, which has ceased following the fire, will recommence in 2022 with some new products in the pipeline, Glenisk’s commercial manager Emma Walls has said.

Walls told the Irish Farmers Journal that the new facility is being “built from scratch”.

She said that before the fire, the company was in a period of growth and despite the fact that it may take a few months to get back to the level of production they were at, they are “buoyant about the opportunities for organics”.

We are very focused on protecting our farmers because they are a rare and precious resource

“We are encouraging more people to get into organic farming and we have big plans for when we get back.

“We are very focused on protecting our farmers because they are a rare and precious resource. There are not that many organic farmers in the country,” she said.

Walls said that the company has been inundated with offers of support since the fire: “The practical support and good wishes have just been overwhelming. Every day there are still phone calls and emails from customers and retailers offering support.”

Walls said the fire was a turning point and an opportunity for the company to have the capacity to grow in the future.