Milcobel will close its milk drinks division at its Schoten (Antwerp) plant. 167 jobs are threatened: 162 in Schoten and 5 in Bruges.
Milcobel produces milk drinks in Schoten, such as regular milk and chocolate milk, under well-known brands such as Inza, Choco! Chocolate! or Yogho! Yogho!. “Less and less milk is consumed. The market has declined by 3% per year over the last ten years. The margins on milk are also very low or even negative,” says Milcobel spokeswoman Kathleen De Smedt. Moreover, the plant in Schoten is outdated, which would require major investment.
In addition to the Schoten site, Milcobel has production facilities in Langemark (mozzarella and ice cream), Moorslede (cheese), Bruges (cutting and packaging of cheese), Kallo (milk powder) and in Argentan, France (ice cream). 2,000 people work for the dairy cooperative.
