Dairy expansion delivers benefits to entire rural community

The expansion in the Irish dairy industry over the last three years has been of a significant financial benefit to family farms and the wider rural economy.

That was the message from the director of Teagasc, Gerry Boyle, at last week’s Teagasc Moorepark dairy open day in Fermoy, Co Cork.

“It’s now over two years since milk quotas were abolished and dairy farmers have made significant productivity gains in that period,” said Prof Boyle. “It shows how the technologies being applied at farm level, especially in relation to animal breeding and grassland management, are fuelling this expansion in a sustainable way.”