‘This puts dairy sector back in the right hands and it won’t be laden with debt’

Farmers had different reasons for being in favour of a yes vote at the Glanbia vote in Gowran Park, Co Kilkenny, but for Kieran McEvoy from Co Laois it was the chance to return to dairy farming.

A tillage farmer, Mr McEvoy voted yes because he believes farmers need to be in control of the dairy business in order to develop the industry.

“Who else is going to drive the dairy industry going forward,” he said. “We don’t expect the plc to invest in low-margin, high-cost operations like processing milk. If you want to drive the industry forward in has to be farmers as it was 20 to 30 years ago.”