‘Four farmers a day quitting dairy industry’
Dr Seamus Kearney, Teagasc dairy adviser in Dungarvan, said the number of dairy farmers had dropped from 86,300 in 1983, the year milk quotas were introduced, to 23,767 in 2004.
“Roughly 1,400 dairy farmers - or four every day - are exiting the industry each year,” he told nearly 700 farmers at the Teagasc national dairy conference.
Dr Kearney said it will take a detailed planning process to meet the next goal for those who want to stay in milk production over the next 10 years. The two main reasons are the Single Farm Payment (SFP) and pressure on farm incomes.
“The SFP gives dairy farmers the opportunity to re-examine and change their farming systems for improved profit and enhanced lifestyle,” he said.
Options outlined at the conference included restructuring or purchasing milk quotas; partnerships - with a family member or other dairy farmers - share milking; organic farming; once-a-day milking or an off-farm job.
Glanbia group managing director John Moloney said scale, market access, innovation and cost management are the four critical factors if dairy farmers in Ireland are to respond to the challenges of today’s global market.
Minister of State John Browne said decoupled support payments allows greater discretion to farmers in their production choices.
