Leading meat industry figure honoured

ONE of the leading figures in the Irish meat industry, Dan Browne, has been honoured by the Agricultural Science Association.

He was presented with the association’s distinguished member award at its annual conference in Galway in recognition of his outstanding contribution to agriculture and to the agri-food industry over the past 50 years.

Mr Browne, who is from a farming background in Douglas, Cork, started his career as a research scientist. After graduating from UCD in 1959 with a degree in agricultural science, he joined the newly established agricultural research institute — An Foras Talúntais.

His first posting was at the grassland research centre at Johnstown Castle in Wexford. In late 1959, he moved back to Cork and was given the task of developing a national dairy research centre at Moorepark, outside Fermoy. He was the third scientist to be recruited to Moorepark and was central in building a world-class centre there over the following 15 years.

Noting his phenomenal contribution to the development of the dairy industry, association president Elaine Farrell said milk output was a little over 100 gallons an acre when Moorepark was established.

“The pioneering work of Dan Browne and his colleagues in Moorepark was vital in transforming dairy farming into the competitive and sophisticated business it is today. He not only developed the new science and technology, he also communicated it with enthusiasm and conviction to dairy farmers,” she said.

In 1974, Mr Browne left the world of research and joined the meat industry, becoming manager of the Cork Marts — IMP plant at Midleton.

In 1980, he set up Dawn Meats with the Queally family in Waterford, as managing director of the company, a position he held for 27 years. Under his leadership, Dawn quickly developed into one of Ireland’s leading meat companies.

He was chairman of Teagasc from 1993 to 1998 and is chairman of Bord Bia. He is also a long-serving member of the Agricultural Trust.

Mr Browne said he was honoured to have been chosen for the association’s distinguished member award, which is sponsored by AIB.