A major investment in Ballycarney, County Wexford, is set to reshape Ireland’s flour supply chain. Slaney Flour has begun construction of a 300-tonne-a-day mill designed to bring more flour production closer to Irish farmers, bakeries and food manufacturers.
The joint venture between Hemelter Ireland and Ballycarney Grain Ltd. represents a significant development for business news ireland, particularly the country’s indigenous food and agriculture sectors. The project is also intended to reduce reliance on imported flour and strengthen resilience across the bakery industry.
Why the Ballycarney mill matters
Ireland currently imports approximately 260,000 tonnes of flour each year, with supplies coming mainly from the UK, Germany and France. Establishing additional domestic milling capacity could help reduce exposure to international transport disruption, extreme weather and geopolitical uncertainty.
For Irish bakeries and food producers, a local source of flour may also improve supply-chain visibility and create closer relationships with growers. The project supports wider conversations about food security, agricultural resilience and the future of the irish economy.
- The planned mill will have capacity of 300 tonnes per day.
- It will be located in Ballycarney, County Wexford.
- The venture combines local grain expertise with international milling experience.
- The investment is expected to support the wider South-East food economy.
Local farming and international expertise
Hemelter Ireland forms part of the family-owned Hemelter Mühle group, which has operated 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 locations in 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 strong connection to the local agricultural base while bringing established milling knowledge to the new facility. Named after the River Slaney, the company says its aim is to produce flour rooted in Wexford for customers throughout Ireland.
What the project means for regional growth
Government representatives and Enterprise Ireland described the development as an important investment in Ireland’s food infrastructure. The bakery sector generates annual turnover of approximately €1.1 billion, making dependable flour supplies important to manufacturers, retailers and hospitality businesses.
The project also highlights the role of collaboration between an indigenous food company, an international milling group, local farmers and public-sector partners. For Wexford, the mill adds to the county’s established agricultural and food-processing profile and could create further opportunities across storage, logistics, farming and food manufacturing.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the new flour mill being built?
The facility is being constructed 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 wider outlook
The Ballycarney project will not remove Ireland’s need for imported flour overnight, but it marks a practical step towards a more diversified and resilient food system. By linking Irish grain production with domestic processing, Slaney Flour could help strengthen connections between farmers, manufacturers and consumers.
The clearest takeaway from this business news ireland development is that investment in local processing capacity can support both national food security and regional economic growth. As construction progresses, attention will turn to the mill’s delivery, its relationship with growers and the role it can play in Ireland’s long-term food strategy.
