Former director of Teagasc Prof. Gerry Boyle has been appointed to the board of dairy business Arrabawn.

Boyle has been appointed as Arrabawn’s sole independent director with immediate effect. Speaking on his appointment, Boyle said he was “delighted to accept the offer to join Arrabawn”.

“When Edward Carr, Arrabawn’s chairperson, asked me, I was delighted to join, as I really believe in the power of the co-operative system. Farmers have many organisations talking to them but the one that they probably listen to more than any is their co-op,” he said.

He added that as he lives within the Arrabawn catchment area, which was another important factor in his decision.

He continued: “Dairying and farming generally have been the bedrock of our economy since the foundation of the State but when other sectors of the economy are strong, it tends to be undervalued”.

“If you look back, however, to 2008, it was the Cinderella sector up to then but when the crash came agri exports were critical to propping up the economy at the time. Only then did the sector get its due recognition,” the former Teagasc chief added.

“That is easily forgotten when the wider economy is going well. We produce enough food here for a population of 50 million people so that’s a huge amount of exports and a huge amount of value to the economy,” he noted.

Welcoming Professor Boyle to the Arrabawn board, chairperson Edward Carr said: “We’re very fortunate to have Gerry join us. He has an incredible amount of expertise and experience. He is very passionate about the industry and has a vision for the future and passion for the industry.

“He also places a huge value on rural development, so he brings a great blend of experience for us to be able to draw on at a very important time for the industry,” Carr added.

“He will be a huge addition to board of Arrabawn and we look forward to drawing on that expertise and bringing it to bear for everyone of our members and, indeed, for rural Ireland,” the chairperson concluded.

An ex officio member of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) from 2016-2021, Boyle is Emeritus Professor of Economics at National University of Ireland Maynooth and former head of its Economics Department.

He also held and adjunct professorship at the University of Missouri in the US.

Boyle served as economic adviser to the Taoiseach from 1995 to 1997 and was an economist with the Central Bank of Ireland and senior international consultant with the World Bank.

He is also a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and holds an honorary doctorate in science from University College Cork (UCC) and an award from the French government for his contribution to agriculture.