A CHEESE factory in Anglesey that opened little more than a year ago is struggling to "function in its current form", and is seeking a buyer.

The Mona Dairy factory, at Mona Industrial Park, opened in in early 2023 with the aim of producing more than 30,000 tonnes of Welsh and continental cheeses each year.

Around £27million was spent on constructing and launching the plant, with a further £10million earmarked for future expansion.

The company said it was “sad” to have “come up short” in delivering Europe’s “newest and most sustainable cheese factory”.

Mona Dairy had failed to source sufficient short-term funding from key stakeholders to “keep functioning in its current form”.

It said an interim milk buyer has been found for the factory’s 31 farmer suppliers, which it added was a “key priority”.

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Staff will be kept on for as long “as long as they can” as the company works through its options.

A Mona Dairy statement said: "After five years of striving to develop the newest and most sustainable cheese factory in Europe, and fighting against many factors outside of our control, Mona Dairy in Anglesey is sad to announce that it has failed to source sufficient short-term funding from its key stakeholders to keep functioning in its current form.

"We remain hopeful that we can secure a new outcome in the coming days and Mona Dairy will be able to continue its journey, even if that means it is under new ownership.

"The key priority of the main individual shareholders David Wynne-Finch and Ronald Akkerman is now to secure a safe home for our 31 farmers and for our loyal, dedicated staff, who believed in our vision and supported us on our journey.

"We will be keeping our staff on for as long as we can, as we work through our options.

"For our farmers, we have secured an established dairy processing company as an interim milk buyer who will take their milk in the short-term, should they wish it. They will be paid for any milk supplied under this interim arrangement by that milk buyer.

"We will update you on the on-going situation as and when we can."

Mona Dairy is co-owned by Ronald Akkerman, who previously developed major dairy projects in the UK and the Netherlands, and prominent Conwy dairy farmer David Wynne-Finch, from Pentrefoelas.

In response to the news, MS for Ynys Môn, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said: "The news about the difficulties facing Mona Dairy is disappointing and worrying, and my thoughts are with staff and suppliers.

“Mona Dairy had emerged as a potentially very important employer over recent years, and I'll want to see what can still be done to try to realise the potential of this part of the food sector in years to come, but this is clearly a blow.

“I will be eager to see what can be done to bring in investment in the hope of saving jobs, and in the meantime, I encourage anyone who is affected by this news to get in touch with me should they need support.”