Lakeland boss ready for fast dairy rationalisation

DAIRY farmers face a poor outlook in if the challenge to rationalise the industry is not met with positive determination to succeed, said Ed Prendergast, Lakeland Dairies’ Chief Executive last week.

It might be difficult, in the short term, to establish the one ‘super processor’ envisaged in the Prospectus Report, he told the sixth annual Dairy Industry Newsletter international dairy conference in London.

But a substantial rationalisation could quickly be achieved through a balanced mix of mergers, joint ventures, partnerships and strategic alliances between the existing industry players.