New Dunbia meat plant in Ceredigion to create 208 jobs

Dunbia's Llanybydder plant processes more than 1.5 million lambs a year

More than 200 jobs will be created in Ceredigion at a new beef processing and packing factory due to open in February.

Dunbia has invested £7.5m in the facility at Felinfach to service a big contract with a supermarket chain.

The news comes as latest figures showed unemployment fell 7,000 in Wales in the last three months to 112,000.

In June, Dunbia invested £12m in its meat processing plant at Llanybydder, safeguarding more than 300 jobs.

'Significant employer'

That plant supplies more than 1.5 million lambs a year to markets throughout Europe.

The company is one of the largest meat processing businesses in Europe employing more than 3,000 staff at 12 sites in the UK and Ireland.

The new venture has been supported by a £1.8m grant from the Welsh government.

Economic Minister Edwina Hart said: "I am delighted that support from the Welsh government ensured this investment came to Wales and will create jobs in the rural economy.

"The announcement of job losses at Sharp, near Wrexham, earlier this week was a stark reminder of just how volatile the economy remains.

"Dunbia is already a significant employer in rural Wales and a major player in the red meat sector which was worth £595m to the Welsh economy in 2012

The new facility will be created at the former Dairygold site in Felinfach which Dunbia used as an interim lamb processing site while its Llanybydder site underwent a £12m redevelopment between 2011 and 2013.

That investment safeguarded 268 jobs and created a further 75 posts.