Co-ops urged to pool resources to achieve efficiencies

The country’s agricultural co-ops have been urged by their national umbrella body to seek greater co-operation.

Irish Co-opertative Organisation Society president Martin Keane suggested that this could be achieved through closer collaboration, joint ventures or fuller scale amalgamations. He was addressing the issue of industry rationalisation at the 39th annual ICOS convention at the Convention Centre in Dublin.

Mr Keane said market volatility has highlighted the need for co-op boards and management to improve competitiveness, increase scale, minimise costs of production and to diversify and add value to their products.