The Glanbia Milk Planning Census 2016 shows that the average herd size of suppliers has risen by 20 to 92 cows in just five years, The Dealer hears.

Presumably not all suppliers expanded their herd size and presumably there have also been changes to the number of suppliers. While I hear that the response rate to the survey was exceptionally high, not everyone did send it back, meaning that the average herd increase is all the more impressive.

Either way, that’s a lot more milk for the company that processes one-third of Ireland’s milk pool.

The last survey of suppliers that Glanbia conducted was in 2011, prior to quota abolition.