Dairygold Co-Operative Society Limited is an Irish dairy co-operative based in Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland. With its catchment area mostly in the Golden Vale, Dairygold processes an annual volume of approximately 1.43 billion liters of grass fed pastureland milk, making it Ireland's second largest dairy co-operative and the island's third largest milk supplier. Formed after the 1989 merger of the Mitchelstown and Ballyclough co-ops, as of 2023 it had 7000 shareholder members and an operating profit of €24 million from a turnover of €1.4 billion.[3]
With approximately 1,200 employees, Dairygold is divided into three operating divisions; Dairy Ingredients (milk powders and cheese), Agri (servicing local farmers), and its retail network of shops in the Munster region. Its main products are rennet casein, demineralised whey for the infant formula and protein powders markets, bulk cheddar for the UK market and specialty cheeses for Greece. Dairygold exports to over 50 countries and has production facilities in Ireland and the UK, as well as sales offices in Germany, Spain and China.[4] It is governed by a board of directors, consisting of both shareholder farmers and non-executives, as well as a number of regional committee positions held by shareholder members.