Chairperson of the newly formed Food Vision Dairy Group, Prof. Gerry Boyle has said that reintroducing milk quotas is not part of his agenda for the group.
He chaired the inaugural meeting of the body in Dublin earlier today (Monday, February 7). The group has been tasked with examining emissions within the dairy sector.
Boyle told Agriland: “I am very aware of the fact that the members of the group will be discussing a very sensitive subject.
“However, we are now in the second year of a Climate Action Plan. Within this, the target has been set of first stabilising emissions within the milk sector and, thereafter, reducing them.
“The members of the new group will be looking at all the options that are on the table in this regard. Personally, I am totally open minded on the matter. I am not coming to the table with prescriptive solutions,” Boyle added.
Dairy group report due
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has requested that the newly formed group compile its initial report on the sector by the end of March.
Gerry Boyle said he is mindful of the fact that the members of the new group have a relatively short window of time within which to complete their work.
“The clock is ticking,” he said.
“I am not sure if we can have draft findings ready for the agriculture minister by the end of March. But I can confirm that all the members of the group will be very busy over the coming weeks.”
Farmer representation
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) National Dairy Committee chair, Stephen Arthur also attended today’s meeting of the group.
Speaking after the event he told Agriland: “IFA will not accept any linkage between emissions and milk output levels. Ireland has a tremendously successful dairy industry. And this is the real story that we need to tell the world.
“The research resource available to the Irish dairy sector is the envy of the world. Dairy represents a win-win scenario for farmers and the Irish economy as a whole.
“Nothing must be done to blight the growth potential of the sector moving forward.
IFA president Tim Cullinan agreed, stating: “Irish dairy farmers have invested €2.1 billion in their businesses since the abolition of quotas. Farmers must be allowed to have the opportunity of fully develop their businesses on the back of this investment.
“IFA is committed to securing a programme of structured growth for the Ireland’s milk sector. We will accept nothing less,” Cullinan added.
Meanwhile Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president, Pat McCormack, who also attended today’s meeting stressed the need for climate change policy to fully embrace the needs of family dairy farms throughout Ireland.
He said: “When quotas were introduced almost 40 years ago, the average farming family could make a living from 40 cows. Today that figure stands at around 140 cows.
“The new dairy group must fully recognise this state-of-affairs.”
The ICMSA president suggested that if cuts in milk output do come up for discussion at future meetings of this new group, the proposed measures must be voluntary in nature and an adequate compensation scheme put in place for farmers.
The members of the new dairy group are due to meet again in a fortnight.