Irish dairy's elevated position across range of global metrics

Stephen Cadogan on reasons why Ireland is the world's No2 dairy exporter to the US, second only to New Zealand

A dairy herd grazing on farmland at dawn outside Timoleague, Co Cork, Ireland. Picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger

The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea … and milk production in Ireland jumps 68%, from under five billion litres in 2008 to 8.3bn litres in 2020.

If you measure only the two main milk constituents, fat and protein, production has jumped 87%.