€18m boost for dairy farmers

BETTER dairy farming in order to compete and cope with severe milk price swings is the objective of an €18 million, three-year dairy efficiency programme announced by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

He said €6m will be made available in each of 2010, 2011 and 2012 to encourage participation by the country’s 18,000 dairy farmers.

The programme, placing particular emphasis on adoption of best practice in relation to grassland management, breeding and financial management, will be open to existing or new members of discussion groups, which will be assisted by facilitators trained by Teagasc. Participants’ progress will be monitored by the facilitators (who can be Teagasc advisers or private service providers), and participants must meet certain attendance and project completion standards.