Study reveals only Ireland gets close to adequate wages for dairy farming

The average Irish outcome in the study from 2015 to 2019 was a 'cost' of 21.54c, compared to a 33.38c milk price

Cows grazing in a field before being milked at Home Farm near Sevenoaks. File Picture. 

Milk costs from 2015 to 2019 were analysed in key milk-producing EU countries for the EMB by German agricultural sociologist Dr Karin Juergens. The minimum milk price farmers needed for a decent family income was calculated.

General operating costs (based on official EU data) included seeds, fertilisers, feed, buildings, machinery, pesticides, and energy. Droughts were found to have caused a significant cost increase for feed in some countries.