Dairy slump could take out millions of euros

A dramatic decline in the profitability of what is, by a long way, the most profitable farm enterprise, is obviously a concern, particularly as the dairy enterprise had been hampered for decades by EU quotas, but is now set to expand.

A 2015 setback is a concern, not just to the farmers themselves but to rural communities, where the spending power of dairy farmers is an important component of the local economy.

There are hopes of a conversion to dairying of acres currently involved in less productive enterprises, such as cattle farming.