Darigold to process 8 million pounds of milk per day in $600 million plant

Darigold has broken ground on a $600 million processing facility to be built in Pasco, Washington that will process 8 million pounds of milk per day.

It is expected to be operational by early 2024.

The Pasco facility will process milk from about 100 farms in surrounding communities.

There will be five consumer butter packaging lines, two bulk butter packaging lines for commercial and institutional customers, two packaging lines for powdered milk products, two butter churns, and two specialized milk dryers.

The milk dryers will be built with low nitrogen oxide emissions in mind. Darigold also intends to increase the capacity of its on-site water treatment facility so that it can take wastewater from nearby food processors. Methane produced by the facility will be converted into natural gas for sale.

Darigold CEO Joe Coote said the Pasco project is the largest investment in its 104-year-history and a significant step in expanding and modernizing Darigold.