Farmers can expect a very good budget this year, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney, who said that up to 10 tax changes that will benefit them.

Speaking at an event to mark the official start of construction to the new Dairygold site in Mallow, the Minister said that he could remember budgets which contained two or three tax breaks for farmers, but this budget would be a bumper one, he said, with in the region of 10 expected to be announced.

He said the most progressive package is on the way for farmers in the budget through taxation and described it as a ‘very significant package that is also very progressive’.

He said that Ireland will be the fastest growing dairy producer in percentage terms on the planet when quotas go and if the dairy expansion is managed properly it will be a very exciting time for the dairy industry.

The Irish dairy herd, he said, will need an extra 300,000 cows, which will translate into 3,000 more people required to milk these cows in five years time.