Dairy forum to focus on industry opportunities in dynamic market

A DAIRY forum is to be convened by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

Mr Smith, who announced the move at the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association annual general meeting in Limerick yesterday, said the forum will meet early in the New Year.

“We know there are competitive challenges ahead but there are also great opportunities in these rapidly changing markets. Ireland has a dynamic dairy industry and we need to make sure we stay in front,” he said.

Mr Smith said the purpose of the forum will be to take stock of the current situation on milk markets and to consider, in the light of the new policy direction at EU level, how Ireland can best exploit its new milk production potential.

“New and emerging markets will present great export opportunities for high-quality milk products,” he said.

Mr Smith said he wants to explore at industry level how to best ensure that Ireland secures its share of new market opportunities and particularly, to consider the actions it needs to take at farm and factory level to stay ahead of the competition.

“We also need to take account of the effect that a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will have on the future of the sector given our need to increase milk production while meeting these new greenhouse gas emission thresholds,” he said.

Referring to last week’s Common Agricultural Policy health check agreement in Brussels, he said he wanted to correct some misleading suggestions that the increased modulation, which he would prefer to have seen avoided, will result in a loss of money to Irish farmers.

“All of the money generated by increased modulation will be used for payments to Irish farmers under the rural development programme.

“What has been agreed is a redistribution of funds from the single farm payment scheme to other farm payment schemes such as REPS,” he said.