The positive side of Irish dairy farming ‘needs to be told’
Some positives in the Irish dairy industry are not being communicated effectively, according to a Munster Technical University (MTU) professor.
Prof. Declan O’Connor, who specialises in dairy economics, dairy policy and dairy market analysis, told Agriland that dairy farming is communicated “rather poorly” beyond its own industry.
He said: “If you take farming, I think it seems to be very much in the back foot because of the environmental angle.
“You know, I think it's unfortunate. There's a very, very positive story there.”
He added that farming “goes way beyond” financial benefits, and that it has a positive impact on employment and local community.
“Milk produced in a small parish down in west Cork today could end up anywhere in the world," he said.
That, the professor added, “is a story that isn't really told”.
Sustainability
Prof. O’Connor said that it is “understandable” that the conversation in recent years has focussed on sustainability and the environment.
However, he added, that the positive side is “there to be told”.
“It just needs a bit of imagination," he said.
Prof. O’Connor sees a tendency in Ireland to “underestimate how good we are”.
He added: “I think we need to kind of get across the idea that we are world leaders in dairy.
“We need to exploit that. We need to leverage it.”
DII event
Prof. O'Connor was speaking to Agriland after addressing a Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) event on European Excellence in Dairy Learning (EEDL), held at the Ibec headquarters in Dublin yesterday (October 5).
The event was a stakeholder briefing aimed at dairy industry leaders, policymakers, and academic partners who are looking to tackle the challenges of generational renewal and workforce upskilling.
In his address, DII director Conor Mulvihill said: “To stay competitive and resilient at a time of such competition for skills in Ireland, we need to evolve rapidly or die.
“This briefing provides a high-impact, interactive session where the industry can access ready to deploy tools to futureproof their operations in an era of new nutritional products, AI (artificial intelligence), and automation."
