‘Farmers need support to be better business people amid volatility’

Farmers intending to enter dairying or expand their enterprise would need to base their plans on realistic profitability assumptions.

Irish Farmers’ Association National Dairy Committee chairman Seán O’Leary issued the advice against a background of weaker dairy markets just six months before the end of the milk quota regime.

While farming and breeding skills were vital to the sector, dairy farmers in the post quota era would need support to become better business people and financial planners than pre-quota, he said.