The capital investment will assist companies in adopting greener technologies, aligning with our net-zero targets. Importantly, it also aims to boost the sector’s productivity
Conor Murphy, Economy Minister of Ireland has announced the launch of a £46 million Agri-Food Investment Initiative to support local agri-food and drink processors. The initiative, developed by Invest Northern Ireland, aims to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of the agri-food and drink processing sector in Northern Ireland.
Minister Murphy expressed, “Agri-food processing significantly contributes to local communities, especially in rural areas. By focusing on supporting this sector, this initiative will help promote regional balance. The capital investment will assist companies in adopting greener technologies, aligning with our net-zero targets. Importantly, it also aims to boost the sector’s productivity.”
The Minister made these remarks at an event attended by businesses and stakeholders from the agri-food and drink sector. Additionally, he visited Classic Mineral Water, a drinks processing company in Lurgan, which has made substantial investments in new production equipment, leading to improvements in productivity, employment, and sales.
Liam Duffy, Chief Executive and owner of Classic Mineral Water, welcomed the Minister to their state-of-the-art facility in Lurgan, stating, “Investing in your business is essential for ensuring continued success. Since taking ownership of Classic Mineral Water, I have made multimillion-pound investments in new machinery, process improvements, and innovation. As a result, we are the first in Ireland to produce isotonic drinks for the private label market. Our business has become much more productive, our sales continue to grow, and we now employ four times the number of people we did five years ago.”
