Aurivo representatives met with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in recent days to stress the importance of the agriculture sector and those who work within it in the midlands, west and north-west region.
Aurivo’s chairman, Raymond Barlow, Aurivo board director Lawrence McNamee and Stephen Blewitt, general manager, Aurivo Dairy were among the delegation who made a presentation to the minister.
The presentation to Minister McConalogue took place on the farm of liquid milk suppliers, Gareth and Dawn Porter in Co. Donegal.
Aurivo meeting
From a regional economic perspective, Aurivo said that it emphasised the importance of agriculture to the midlands, west and north-west, pointing out that 70,000 people (14% of those directly employed in the region) are currently employed on farm or in direct manufacturing and related services.
A further 12% to 15% are employed indirectly in roles supported by farming income.
Echoing the minister’s own stated views on the importance of being able to attract and retain young, energetic, innovative people into the sector, Aurivo stressed that recent legislative changes are making dairy farming less attractive for all those involved.
The co-op representatives added that the negative impacts of over-regulation must be considered if rural communities are to have a future financially and socially.
Aurivo commended the minister on his recent approach to seek a further nitrates derogation for Ireland, and mentioned that the region covered by Aurivo has the lowest stocking rate at 0.39 cows/ha, less than 40% of other areas of Ireland.
The Sligo-based co-op stressed that as a result, there are exceptionally good phosphate and nitrate levels in the waterways of the region.
The co-op team has said that it also assured Minister McConalogue of its, and its milk suppliers’, commitment to playing an important role in helping improve water quality and the environment in the region.
The team told the minister that the co-op is on target to achieve its scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions by 2030.
The representatives outlined the initiatives Aurivo has put in place to improve the environment in which it operates and to help its farmers achieve their 25% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2030:
- Aurivo’s Farm Profitability Programme (in its 10th year), where best practice is rolled out on focus farms and used to educate and inform the wider Aurivo supply base;
- Aurivo’s Future Milk Sustainability Bonus of 0.5c/L, where milk suppliers commit to carrying out agreed environmentally-focused initiatives;
- The co-op’s Carbon Soil Measuring initiative in conjunction with Farmeye;
- Aurivo’s forage and soil testing and nutrient planning programme and its involvement in an environmental programme in conjunction with Teagasc;
- Aurivo’s involvement with Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) and the Thrive Calf to Beef Programme.
However, the delegation pointed out that the government must offer further supports to ensure that environmental targets on farm are achieved.
Aurivo welcomed the concept of nitrates regionalisation as introduced in October 2023, which saw some parts of Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Leitrim and Galway retain 250kg derogation.
The Aurivo team members said they firmly believe the high-water quality, low stocking density, large economic dependence on agriculture and environmental initiatives currently in place, dictate that a much larger area of the Aurivo region should be allowed to retain its existing derogation.
Stephen Blewitt, General Manager Aurivo Dairy; Lawrence McNamee, Director, Aurivo; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Minister Charlie McConalogue TD; and Raymond Barlow, Chairman of Aurivo.