Growing and processing quality grains has been an integral part of Glanbia Ireland since our co-operatives first began to join together in the early 1900s to create a better future for all. Grain was grown to supplement forage crops and for human consumption and that tradition has been continued by Glanbia Ireland with active support for our grain farmers, finding new partners and markets while constantly innovating to respond to the consumer demand.
Glanbia Ireland’s specialist tillage team travel to farms providing one-to-one support and advice to our farmers to ensure only the best quality grains reaches our animal nutrition mill at Clonroche and our food-grade processing facilities at Portlaoise.
This technically astute team ensures that our farmers are familiar with the latest technologies in crop development and management and in sustainable practices such as integrated pest management (IPM) and reduced fossil fuel use. IPM is now a vital component of sustainable tillage farming, not just in Ireland, but across the globe. Our team places a strong focus on this and aids our farmers in making crop decisions that best suit our climatic conditions, with the most suitable varieties and sowing dates.
In producing malting barley and other grains Glanbia Ireland has built up strong partnerships with some of the best known Irish and international beverage companies securing a ready market for our farmers’ product. The quality of our grains means we have formed long term partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands.
Responding to demand for quality produce Glanbia Ireland has become the largest buyer of Irish grains and has doubled the acreage sown to gluten-free crops, in response to a marked rise in consumer demand for these products
Sowing gluten-free oats has become extremely popular with Glanbia Ireland farmers, who are showing strong interest in the opportunities arising out of the premium contracts for these grains. Many are asking to have their farms assessed to ascertain if they are suitable for growing the crop.
Over the last number of years consumer demand for natural nutrition and unadulterated forms of fibre and protein, alongside a broadening of the alternative drinks market, has seen a sharp increase in product development and consumption of oats and grain products across multiple categories.
The consumer trend towards revaluing ‘natural’ as a premium continues unabated in the developed markets and is fuelling new drive for oats and grains.
Glanbia Ireland through our traditional oats and grains agribusiness division is well equipped to respond to these demands. We are well placed to capitalise on these trends with our Oat SecureTM range of gluten-free oats offering customers a fully traceable supply chain with a highly secure gluten-free standard.
Oat SecureTM
Glanbia Ireland follows a stringent 14-step OatSecureTM, closed loop supply chain with the oats processed at its state-of-the-art, oats-only food-grade facility in Portlaoise. This ensures gluten-free certification.
The oats are harvested and transported by Glanbia Ireland using dedicated gluten-free machinery. All seeds are purchased through Glanbia Ireland as the crop requires extremely strict specifications to deliver food-grade gluten-free produce.
Plant-based solutions
Glanbia Ireland is entering new spaces with plant-based solutions and ingredients to meet market and consumer demands. Sourced from Irish family farms, we take great care to guarantee the highest quality oats, both conventional and gluten-free. Our grains portfolio includes a range of innovative and highly functional oat and quinoa flakes and flours that are used to enhance popular applications including bakery, cereals, beverages, bars, meal replacement, yoghurt, retail and food service.