Dairy farmers to get €825m boost

Dairy farmers will collectively receive an extra €825m per annum in their creamery cheques by 2020, according to experts.

TJ Flanagan, a policy adviser with co-op umbrella group ICOS, said the 2.5 billion additional litres of milk expected to be produced annually by Irish dairy farmers would be worth €825m at the current average price of 33c per litre co-ops pay farmers.

He said: “That €825m is just the value to the farmers of the extra milk. With sales of butter, powders and skimmed milk products, the extra post-quota milk could be worth at least €1bn to the Irish economy.”