Communication: Ref: COVID-19 Issue 1 Monday, 16th March 2020

16th March 2020

Dear Members, Suppliers, Customers, & Employees,

I wish to update you on the status of Dairygold’s response to the current COVID-19 situation. We are taking necessary steps to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, customers, suppliers, contractors, visitors and other partners. As we enter the busy peak season, our focus is on collecting and processing milk and supplying finished product to our customers as well as manufacturing and supplying farm inputs (Feed, Fertiliser, Farm Requisites, etc.) and maintaining our Retail offering via Co-Op SuperStores. While doing this, our collective focus will be on safety and avoiding risk of COVID-19 contact.

As part of Dairygold’s Business Continuity Planning, we have stablished a COVID-19 Response Steering Group, to monitor COVID-19 impacts in our operations and to ensure that all necessary actions and appropriate measures are being taken to protect people’s health and safety across all areas of the business.

We continue to operate our business continuity plan for all areas. To date, the following measures have been implemented;

People

• All non-essential site-visits to any Dairygold site have been prohibited.
• All business travel has been suspended.
• A remote working policy for our office-based employees has been implemented.
• A strict working and social distancing policy across all Dairygold sites has been implemented in line with HSE recommendations.
• We have continual engagement with our employees on best practice health and safety measures.

Dairy Operations

• All Dairygold Milk Processing facilities remain fully operational.
• We are undertaking contingency planning and capability studies to ensure our production facilities are well equipped for the challenges which may lay ahead.
• Dairygold is actively working with Dairy Industry Ireland on a National Contingency Plan.

Agri Business and Retail Operations

• Safety-protocols have been put in place to enable the continued operation of our Co-op Superstores, however, phone and online ordering remain the safest method of purchasing and we would urge all customers to use those methods as much as possible.
• Protocols have been established in relation to farm inputs deliveries.

Farm Level

• Strict protocols have been implemented for continued on-farm collection of raw milk.
  • Drivers/hauliers will follow strict hygiene procedures.
  • Farmers are asked to follow the on-farm guidance advised in recent communications.
• Dairygold is monitoring supply chains on a daily basis.
• Farm calls by Dairygold Milk Advisors and Area Sales Managers have been suspended.
• However, our Milk Advisors and Area Sales Managers are available by phone and they will be making proactive contact with customers over the coming days.

 Customers

• Dairygold is working closely with our customers and partners on a daily basis.
• Dairygold is monitoring route to market supply chains on a daily basis.

As we are in unchartered territory it is important to note that Dairygold’s contingency plans will continue to evolve and we will be updating them as appropriate to our website www.dairygold.ie

Dairygold is taking all necessary precautions in line with HSE guidelines to ensure we continue to operate good health and safety procedures while we continue to process our Members’ milk, provide essential services to our customers and ensure the health and safety of our employees.

Remember, while COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge, we are all in this together and the health and safety of our Dairygold family is of paramount importance. Whether at work, at home or elsewhere in the coming weeks, please remember to keep safe and follow HSE guidelines.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Woulfe

Chief Executive