Britain offers more than Ireland for dairy farmers

HIGH land prices, high set-up costs and restricted availability of milk quota have made Ireland unprofitable — compared to Britain — for those setting up dairy farms.

That was the verdict of 1,400-cow farmer John Leeson, from Devon in England, when he addressed the Positive Farmers Conference held recently in Limerick.

“A more realistic value of land and greater access to quota still make the UK a reasonable bet for grassland, dairying and tillage, although there are not nearly as many good farms for sale as previously.”