Walmart plans to open what will be the US retail giant’s third “owned and operated” milk processing facility in the country.

The new plant, located in Robinson, Texas will create “early 400 new jobs”.

The factory is expected to open in 2026.

In October, Walmart announced plans for a milk-processing facility in Valdosta in Georgia.

Bruce Heckman, vice president of manufacturing at Walmart said the Texas project “continues our commitment to building a more resilient and transparent supply chain and ensuring our customers’ needs are met for this everyday staple”.

The facility will process and bottle a variety of milk options, including gallon, and half-gallon sizes of whole, 2%, 1% and skim versions and 1% chocolate milk.

Walmart plans to sell the milk under its Great Value and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark own labels.

In June last year, Walmart announced an investment for a beef packing facility in Olathe, Kansas, creating 600 jobs and set to be operational in 2025.

The plant will package and distribute cuts of Angus beef from Sustainable Beef, a rancher-owned company based in Nebraska. Walmart acquired a minority stake in the ranch-based beef processing plant last August, which is expected to be functional in late 2024.

Early in 2020, Walmart also opened a 201,000 square-foot Angus beef-processing facility in Thomasville, Georgia, bringing in 200 new jobs for the local area.

Walmart has also funnelled cash into the fresh produce supply chain as it invested in California-based vertical-farming business Plenty Unlimited in 2022 as part of a $400m funding round.