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Idaho dairy farmers produce more milk and cheese than almost any state in the nation. Idaho is ranked third behind California and Wisconsin.

Growing And Growing: Magic Valley Dairy Industry Continues To Expand

Jay Peeples
/
Flickr

A milk processing plant in the Magic Valley is planning a big expansion. It’s the latest in a dairy industry growth spurt taking place in Jerome.

In February, the Magic Valley Quality Milk Producers – a coop of 30 or so members – announced it was branching out from being a dairy producer and marketer to also processing milk products.

That was followed up in April with the Jerome Cheese Company adding a multi-million dollar office complex to its operation.

The spotlight is now on Idaho Milk Products. The company, which produces cream and other milk derivatives, is investing $26 million into its Jerome plant. The expansion is expected to boost the company’s processing capacity by a third to around 4.4 million pounds of milk a day.

“In addition to the capacity expansion, we’re expanding our R&D capabilities by building a pilot plant,” says Daragh Maccabee, the CEO of Idaho Milk Products.

He says the growth includes expanding and enhancing the company’s staff with at least 25 new positions.

According to Maccabee, the planning phase of the enlargement is well underway.

“A lot of the heavier work will be done springtime next year, and everything should be completed by August of 2019,” says Maccabee.

Annually, Idaho Milk Products makes 100 million pounds of cream and more than 40 million pounds of milk protein.

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