A Co Kilkenny trout farm has completed a €138,000 investment aimed at boosting production to fill a growing demand in Irish and overseas markets.
The Kilkenny-based family business says it is focusing on higher-value trout products and improved processing efficiency as part of its long-term growth strategy.
The latest investment follows the completion last year of a major extension to the company’s factory in Thomastown.
As Afloat reported in November 2023, the farm previously received grant aid of €666,540 from the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme and the Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme, administered by BIM toward a 1.68 million euro investment programme.
BIM says a €64,000 grant was approved recently under the Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme, funded through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
Interim BIM chief executive Richard Donnelly, said: “Goatsbridge Trout Farm has been blazing a trail in terms of innovation in recent years, and this investment will support its strategy to meet growing demand for higher-value trout products”.
“It also highlights the positive impact of EMFAF funding in helping aquaculture businesses become more resilient and sustainable.”
The business, established in 1965 and run by husband-and-wife team Mags and Ger Kirwan, is Ireland’s largest freshwater trout producer and one of the country’s longest-established aquaculture enterprises.
Over the past decade, Goatsbridge has undergone significant expansion, increasing production from approximately 230 tonnes per year to more than 600 tonnes annually following the acquisition of farming sites in County Wicklow.
The company now operates six sites and employs more than 34 staff across the full production chain from fish farming to processing, packaging and distribution.
“This investment allows us to fully utilise the raw material we produce and add greater value through our processing operations,” said Mags Kirwan.
“By focusing on higher-margin products and improving operational efficiency we are strengthening the long-term sustainability of the business while continuing to grow the Goatsbridge brand both in Ireland and internationally.”
Alongside the processing investment, the company has also undertaken a significant programme of digital transformation, including the introduction of a new system to integrate production management, financial reporting and operational planning.
