DAIRY farming in the two counties will be given an international flavour, thanks to a joint venture between a Worcestershire co-operative and Irish milk business.

Lower Wick-based First Milk, Britain's largest farmer-owned dairy business, and Irish farmers' co-operative Dairygold have announced their partnership in a deal which brings a new dimension to farmer co-operation.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was completed this month, First Milk and Dairygold have become partners in First Milk's Welsh cheesemaking arm, Aeron Valley Cheese.

"This exciting joint venture partnership will drive forward the expansion of the Aeron Valley business," said John Duncan, First Milk chairman.

"We believe that we have found the ideal partner.

"First Milk and Dairygold are like-minded, farmer-owned businesses with shared objectives.

"We look forward to a mutually profitable relationship at Aeron Valley."

Denis Lucey, chief executive of Dairygold, which has 5,600 members, added: "We're delighted to be working with First Milk on this ground-breaking project.

"We're committed to expanding our cheese production presence in Great Britain and, with First Milk, we look forward to building a first-class, farmer-owned cheese business in West Wales."

The partnership between First Milk and Dairygold, which owns Horlicks cheesemakers in Somerset and Haslington Cheese in Crewe, Cheshire, will create an expanded business, with shared interests in cheese manufacture and marketing.

The deal opens up major new market opportunities for the business, including further development of the Aeron Valley brand.

First Milk started trading at the beginning of April as a result of a merger between Axis and Scottish Milk.

The Lower Wick co-operative has around 4,500 farmer members and markets about 2.2bn litres of milk a year to the dairy processing sector.

It is Britain's only national dairy farmers' business, with members in Scotland, England and Wales and customers from Southern England to Northern Scotland and Northern Ireland.