Abolition of milk quotas could create 15,000 extra jobs
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.
Consumer demands for quality and sustainability is the third trend indicated by market research.
“Economists estimate that expansion which will follow the abolishment of milk quotas in 2015 could be worth €1.3bn per year to our economy, with the potential to create 15,000 additional jobs, from farm gate to dairy processors and spread throughout the counties,” Ms Kavanagh said.
“Consumers have an interest in food quality and provenance. Nurturing and building on the domestic trust and reputation we enjoy is vital in establishing a secure platform at home for the sustainable export-led growth that will allow the benefits of Irish dairy products to reach a wider community of consumers.”
Several leading dairy industry figures supported the ambitious growth targets, developed in a discussion on dairy quality, featuring John Byrne, Aurivo Dairy Ingredients; Pat Dillon, Teagasc; Seán Molloy, Glanbia Ingredients Ireland; and Joe Moriarty, Kerry Agribusiness.
Mr Molloy said: “The industry will be reaffirming the message that Ireland delivers a very high quality of dairy product. This reputation is already very well-established globally. The measurement of these quality values around product categories such as infant formula and clinical nutrition will continue to play a fundamental role in developing new business.
“Those markets set very high values in terms of the qualities we need to achieve. At Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, we have 22 advisers on the road, helping suppliers achieve and measure those quality targets. That focus on quality has been long established; it is now a matter of how we measure and report those quality standards.”
Jackie Cahill, the chairman of the dairy council, said the group is at the mid-point of its three-year strategy, ‘Irish Dairy, Sustainable and Nutritious by Nature’.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s conference also featured a discussion on applications of dairy in sports nutrition and healthy ageing. Contributors included rugby star Rob Kearney; Luc van Loon, professor of physiology of exercise at Maastricht’s University Medical Centre; and Catherine Logan, nutritionist with the dairy council.
Prof van Loon said: “Similar to athletes, healthy ageing can be regarded as a sport and requires a smart combination of exercise and nutrition to optimise exercise efficiency.
“Dietary protein ingestion stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis, inhibits protein breakdown, and, as such, stimulates muscle protein accretion. This will lead to a greater skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise, resulting in more effective muscle reconditioning.”
