Attending discussion groups will give dairy farmers 1c to 2c per litre

DAIRY farmers stand to gain 1c to 2c per litre by attending discussion groups, according to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith.

The minister said attending groups will help the dairy sector achieve the 50% increase in milk production targeted in the Food Harvest 2020 report. These groups lead to greater on-farm efficiency, production gains and, ultimately, enhanced profits for farmers.

Mr Smith said: “Teagasc research has shown that membership of a discussion group has a direct and positive impact on dairy farm profitability, to the tune of between 1 cent and 2c per litre. This means that a milk producer with a quota of 250,000 litres can realise a benefit of between €2,500 and €5,000 from participating in a discussion group.”