Dairy farmers across Ireland and Northern Ireland face the same growing pressures, from environmental rules and labour shortages to succession planning.

That is according to Dale Farm’s group chief executive, who said dairy farmers are also striving to improve productivity while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.

However, speaking at the co-op's recent Annual General Meeting (AGM), Nick Whelan, said despite these challenges, Dale Farm is optimistic about the long-term prospects for dairy.

The audience at the AGM was told that Dale Farm delivered "another strong financial performance" in the year to March 2026, with turnover rising to €865.8 million and Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) increasing to €58.5 million.

They also heard that the co-op had paid "a leading and competitive milk price throughout the year" - returning €473 million to farmer members through milk payments including €11.6 million through an additional one pence per litre bonus payment.

Dale Farm

It was highlighted at the AGM that farmer confidence in the co-op "also remained strong" - Dale Farm's milk pool has now hit one billion litres annually.

The co-op's volumes have also increased by 13% over the past two years while Dale Farm members have increased average milk yields by 9% over the past four years.

According to Whelan the future of the dairy industry "will be built on productivity, innovation and sustainability working together".

"Global food and beverage markets are changing rapidly. Demand for dairy ingredients and proteins continues to grow and the companies that succeed will be those that have the scale, efficiency and market access to compete internationally.

“We are a farmer-owned cooperative with a long-term outlook. Our job is to ensure we continue creating value and opportunity for our members not just today, but for decades to come," Dale Farm's group chief executive said at the AGM.