Dairy farmers urged to prepare their businesses for freer market

DAIRY farmers were urged yesterday to use the next five to six years to prepare their farm businesses for a freer market in the longer term.

Dairy and beef farmers were given examples of how to reduce fertiliser costs during an open day at the Teagasc Solohead Research Farm in Co Tipperary.

Pat Dillon, head of Teagasc Moorepark Dairy Production Centre, said dairy enterprises will need to grow in size, be labour efficient, as well as being low-cost systems of production.