The yogurt industry in upstate New York is getting attention as a bright spot in the region's lackluster economy. Now, Byrne Dairy is will be joining other companies in this growing agribusiness.
Syracuse-based Byrne Dairy hopes to open its facility in Cortland County by 2014. This will put it in competition with the successful Chenango County-based Chaboni, a South American company called Alpina, and PepsiCo, which all have plans for yogurt production in upstate New York.
While at a yogurt summit put on by Cornell University, Byrne Dairy's chairman, Bill Byrne, says yogurt's popularity is just beginning to spread in the United States.
"If you look at the next generation, look at the next 20 years, we think the yogurt business is going to be a good business for us to be in and will allow us to grow our business," said Byrne.
He says dairy farmers in New York will need to increase their production to supply the growing industry. Byrne says that farms in western New York will likely be able to grow and meet the increasing demand.
