Abolition of milk quotas could create 15,000 extra jobs

The abolition of milk quotas in 2015 could be worth €1.3bn and 15,000 jobs to the economy, according to National Dairy Council chief executive Zoe Kavanagh.

Speaking at the group’s 50th anniversary annual conference at the RDS yesterday, Ms Kavanagh said the opportunity for dairy growth hinges on three “mega trends”. Firstly, dairy will target rising demand in emerging markets such as Africa, Asia, and South America.

Secondly, growth opportunities lie in new applications for dairy, notably in sports nutrition and healthy ageing, supported by technologies which enable valuable fractions of milk to be isolated, such as protein.