Full coverage: Agribusiness

Politicians turning the sod on Glanbia Co-op and Royal A-ware’s new plant yesterday were upbeat about the prospects for higher-value dairy processing and the removal of the legal barriers that delayed the project until this year.

Ireland’s largest dairy processor has completed its separation from the listed multinational it had created. Under full farmer ownership, its new priority is to boost lagging producer prices.

Buybacks and dividends are the sign of a well-run, mature business. In a confident update, Origin Enterprises has announced a €40 million buy-back as well as a continued dividend despite its exposure to Ukraine.

Technological change in agriculture and food may have to adapt to shifting consumer priorities after Covid-19, but the pace of innovation remains unabated. Here is a look at six big ideas – and one possible spoiler.

The farmer-owned co-op is regaining full control of Glanbia’s Irish operations in a €300m deal. This will now be largely funded by debt secured on the group’s listed shares, reducing the need to sell under-valued stock.

In one fell swoop, the board and management of Glanbia Co-op want to regain full control of Ireland’s largest agribusiness, sell down its PLC shareholding and prepare for expansion into new areas. Its farmer members are voting this Friday.

Hannah Quinn-Mulligan reflects on the frustrations and inconsistencies presented by the authorities following her year-long investigation into Covid-19 outbreaks in meat factories.

As the world entered a destructive pandemic, the Irish dairy multinational had a bigger challenge on its hands: the sports and health nutrition brands at the core of its success story were running out of steam. A shock treatment delivered during lockdowns appears to have worked.

A destructive fire plunged the Belfast-based agri-tech group into the red in 2020 and triggered a board reshuffle, but growth was slowing before that. To turn R&D into profit, its CEO Richard Kennedy says the group now wants to bring in new shareholders.

Is a French retail revolution brewing? A consumer-led brand of staple foods has been taking over the aisles in the country and in nine other markets, offering lessons for Ireland’s agri-food industry.