Irish also may opt to share milk
Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, and farm organisations are represented on a farm structures consultative committee examining how farmers can merge without loss of benefits.
It is believed that existing arrangements for farm partnerships are unlikely to achieve the increase in farm scale needed for a viable industry.
Models for farmers to work together without losing their individual subsidies from the EU or Department of Agriculture farmers are needed to overcome disadvantages such as Ireland’s relatively small farms, high land prices, and under-supply in the land market. There is strong support for the objective, but developing the legal framework and practical models will not be easy, according to Dr Tom Kelly of Teagasc, which is leading the consultations.
The workings of share milking and equity partnerships in New Zealand are the basis for the consultations. A study group has visited New Zealand, where more than one third of dairy farms are operated by share milkers, with some share milkers involved in more then one farm. Equity partnerships is increasing in popularity, found on one in six New Zealand dairy farms.
Among the farms visited in New Zealand was that of Corkman Kieran Guiney and his wife Leonie who are negotiating their second equity partnership.
