Cumberland County Processer Receives Dairy Investment Grant

HARRISBURG – A local dairy processing facility in Lower Mifflin Township will receive a state grant to boost its productivity and hire more employees, according to Senator Judy Ward (R-30) and Representative Barb Gleim (R-199).

The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved a $470,076 grant to Reykjavik Creamery to upgrade its processing facility, including the purchase of new storage and processing equipment that is expected to nearly triple the plant’s processing capabilities. The company is planning to hire 10 new full-time employees to help manage the additional workload.

The grant was awarded as part of the Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program, which was created by lawmakers in 2018 to provide assistance to one of the most important sectors of the state’s agriculture industry.

“This project highlights how we can be partners with the private sector and support new jobs in Pennsylvania’s top industry,” Ward said. “Lawmakers have worked together over the past two years to help dairy farmers deal with the significant challenges facing the industry. I am very happy that we will see the impact of these actions locally with the creation of new jobs.”

“Congratulations to Reykjavik Creamery for their excellent proposal that resulted in getting this grant. Cumberland County is a great community in which to expand their facility and we welcome the jobs and economic benefits to our dairy farms and other business sectors that will flow from this project” Gleim said.

Ward and Gleim said that Pennsylvania dairy farming is one of the most important parts of the state’s agriculture economy, supporting 52,000 jobs and contributing $14.7 billion to the state’s economy.  However, challenging market conditions have created a serious threat to the livelihood of many dairy farmers.  The USDA reported that Pennsylvania lost 370 dairy farms in 2018 alone. The number of dairy cows in the state decreased by 25,000 head.

 

CONTACT:  Cheryl Schriner (717) 787-5490

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