Eoin Lowry reports on the financial performance of Ornua during 2016. It was another strong set of results with the three key metrics of turnover, earnings and margin all increasing. The trend gives reassurance that the company’s growth strategy in recent years has not simply relied on securing volume markets but also moving product up the value chain – an important trend when we consider that the co-op has marketed 33% more milk in the last four years. The five-year plan is to almost double sales to €3bn along with doubling margins at the same time. It is an ambitious target considering the headwinds of Trump and Brexit. Key will be the ability of recent investments to deliver premiums that will allow the business to maintain and grow its share of the national milk pool.