Surplus milk production direct cause of sector woes, say dairy chiefs

TWO dairy industry leaders have now identified surplus milk production as the root cause of difficulties in the industry in the EU.

Dr Noel Cawley, who will retire from his job as Irish Dairy Board managing director next week, has predicted a difficult two to three years for dairy farmers, but says if the surplus of milk in Europe is reduced, prices should improve again.

And Britain’s dairy farmers, the worst paid in the EU-15, have been told by the chief executive of Arla Foods that they should cut milk production by one billion litres a year.