Ireland is taking a significant step towards strengthening its food supply chain, with construction beginning on a new 300-tonne-a-day flour mill in Ballycarney, County Wexford. The Slaney Flour project is designed to bring more flour production closer to Irish bakeries and food manufacturers while creating new opportunities for local grain producers.
The development is a notable story for business news ireland, agriculture and regional investment. Slaney Flour is a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd., combining international milling expertise with deep roots in the Wexford farming community.
Why the Ballycarney mill matters
Ireland currently imports approximately 260,000 tonnes of flour each year, mainly from the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Increasing domestic milling capacity could reduce exposure to international supply disruptions, transport pressures, weather-related crop problems and geopolitical uncertainty.
For bakeries and food producers, a closer supply base may also support more responsive purchasing and stronger relationships with Irish growers. The project therefore connects several priorities within the irish economy: food security, regional development, agricultural value creation and resilient manufacturing.
Local farming and international expertise
Hemelter Ireland forms part of the family-owned Hemelter Mühle group, which has milled flour in Germany since 1892. The company has supplied Irish bakeries for more than two decades and currently provides about 40,000 tonnes of flour annually. Its wider group operates five milling sites across Germany and Poland.
Ballycarney Grain is operated by brothers Andrew and Raymond Kavanagh from their family tillage farm. The business sources, dries and stores grain from approximately 150 farmers across the South-East, while also providing agronomy support from seed selection through to harvest.
That combination gives Slaney Flour a clear connection between farm production, processing and the end users that depend on consistent flour supplies.
What the investment could mean for Wexford
The project is expected to reinforce Ballycarney’s role in food production and processing. Government representatives and Enterprise Ireland described the mill as an important investment in Ireland’s food infrastructure and a vote of confidence in the wider Wexford region.
The Irish bakery sector generates annual turnover of approximately €1.1 billion, according to Enterprise Ireland. A modern domestic mill could help support the sector by improving supply-chain resilience and strengthening links between Irish agriculture and food businesses.
Potential benefits include:
- Greater domestic flour production capacity
- New commercial opportunities for tillage farmers
- Reduced reliance on imported flour
- Additional regional economic activity in the South-East
- Closer links between growers, millers, bakeries and food manufacturers
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the new flour mill being built?
The mill is being built in Ballycarney, County Wexford.
Who owns Slaney Flour?
Slaney Flour is a joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd.
How much flour will the mill produce?
The planned facility is designed to process up to 300 tonnes of flour per day.
The outlook for Irish flour milling
The Ballycarney development highlights how collaboration between an indigenous agricultural business, an international milling group and public-sector partners can support long-term industrial capacity. It also reflects wider business ireland priorities around supply security, regional growth and adding value to domestic agricultural production.
The key takeaway: Slaney Flour’s new Wexford mill could mark an important new chapter for Irish flour milling, bringing production closer to the businesses and communities that depend on it.
