“We are entering a new era in dairy farming in Ireland and it is important that all stakeholders work together to ensure that we have a stronger dairy industry in the future,” said head of Teagasc Dairy Production Research in Moorepark, Dr Pat Dillon speaking at the Teagasc National Dairy Conferences in Cavan and Limerick last week.

Outlining Teagasc’s Long Term Vision for the Irish Dairy Industry, he argued that the early abolition of the EU milk quota may be beneficial to the Irish dairy industry in that it would allow dairy farmers who are eager to expand, to do so and possibly facilitate growth in Irish milk production.

“Pasture based dairy farming is the most profitable enterprise when based on efficient conversion of grazed grass into milk. Allowing for increases in land and labour productivity, dairy farming in Ireland can be the most competitive within the EU”, Dr Dillon said.

“Policy changes at EU level will require the Irish dairy industry to increase efficiency in the processing of commodity products while at the same time extracting greater value from milk by producing products that return a higher margin, he said.

Source: laois-nationalist.ie