A COUNTY Durham dairy has received funding to triple production capacity and to take on workers made redundant following the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB).

Rock Farm Dairy is increasing its capacity from 50,000 litres to 150,000 litres a day, and is taking on 16 people who were made redundant from DFB’s dairy in Blaydon, on Tyneside.

Almost 300 people lost their jobs when the dairy was forced to close last month following the collapse of the DFB milk co-operative.

The demise also hit 288 farms across the North-East and North Yorkshire which supplied milk to DFB dairies.

Now, Wheatley Hill-based Rock Farm Dairy, which is owned by the Gregory family, who have been involved in producing and delivering milk for more than 100 years, is being helped to step into the void by £80,000 in funding from regional development agency One North East.

John Gregory, a partner at Rock Farm Dairy, said: “Following the closure at Blaydon, Rock Farm was forced to increase its milk intake significantly, but limited resources made it difficult to continue this on a permanent basis.

“One of our main concerns was to make sure schools and all other dairymen in the region had a continuation of supply and we are working 24- hours a day to make sure all needs are covered.

“The funding will allow us to expand our business to ensure its stability while providing affected suppliers with a lifeline.

“It is great that we have been able to employ people who had, unfortunately, lost their jobs after the closure at Blaydon, and it is positive news for the region as whole.”

In addition to the funding given to Rock Hall Farm, One North East is making efforts to support the farming community through funding a Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) training programme for 30 regional dairy farmers.

The agency is also working closely with English Food and Farming Partnerships and the National Farmers Union to try to match dairy farmers without a market to local dairies.

Adrian Sherwood, RDPE manager at One North East, said: “We have been working tirelessly with partners since it emerged that the Blaydon dairy was in trouble.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to save that particular dairy, but it’s welcome news that RDPE funding is helping to expand another regional dairy, allowing it to compete and grow in the future, employ people that were directly hit by the Blaydon closure and retain an important supply chain in the region.”