The board of the National Dairy Council (NDC) has appointed Co. Kildare dairy farmer Larry Hannon as its new vice-chairperson.
Hannon, from Ballitore, represents the National Milk Agency and has been on the NDC board since April 2019.
He takes over from outgoing vice-chairperson John Murphy, who recently stepped down from the NDC board.
Hannon is well-regarded in dairy farming circles, having been the former chairperson of the Fresh Milk Producers Group, which represents some 1,000 Glanbia suppliers.
He is also the current vice-chairperson of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) National Liquid Milk Committee.
Agriland visited Hannon in 2018 to talk to him about his dairy operation.
Hannon farms about 90ha in total and milks some 200 cows.
He told Agriland that he was a “firm believer in producing as much milk as possible from grass”.
NDC view on FSAI report
In other NDC related news, the council this week shared its views on a recent report from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The FSAI report made a number of dietary recommendations for persons over the age of 65.
The NDC welcomed the report, saying that it highlighted the key role dairy plays in contributing to the intake of key nutrients.
Dr. Marianne Walsh, nutrition manager with the NDC, said that milk, yoghurt and cheese offer “convenient and affordable” sources of nutrition.
“Currently, over 70% of older adults are falling short of the recommended three servings a day, but these new guidelines help to shine a light on the nutritional value of dairy, which will hopefully encourage greater uptake of this important food group,” Dr. Walsh said.