The loss of just one milk processing plant could be catastrophic for the industry
When milk yields peak in May, there could be as little as 1% to 2% spare processing capacity nationally, posing a huge danger to the sector as it tries to cope with the Covid-19 challenge.
If anything goes wrong, “The knock-on consequences would be unimaginable for the entire industry,” said Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) Director Conor Mulvihill.
The industry spokesman said the 2020 peak supply could be as high as an unprecedented 250 million litres per week.
“As this crisis develops and deepens, our concern is escalating because potential employee Covid-19 positive cases in processing sites may cause a production line or even a full factory to go down. This is something that we cannot afford and would have serious consequences for farmers and companies alike.
He said the loss of any plant due to loss of key staff from Covid or mechanical failure has the potential to be catastrophic for farmers and the dairy cooperative system alike.
He revealed, “The spread of Covid-19 has resulted in enormous logistical efforts to safely collect milk even prior to the peak period.
“The industry has seen huge commitment from everyone that they will do everything possible to help one another and their farmer suppliers.
“We have engaged in critical contingency planning across the companies to deal with this challenge, modelling different scenarios.
“We have seen processing difficulties reported with our colleagues in Italy, Croatia and France.
“We are actively working with our regulatory authorities to guide us on what we can do in the event that we cannot collect or process milk.’
“Dairy Industry Ireland is working with government and at EU level to communicate Irish dairy’s unique exposure to the crisis, underlining the long-term financial health of our companies and suppliers.
Dairy Industry Ireland represents primary and secondary dairy manufacturers including the specialised nutrition sector in Ireland.
