The challenges emerging with the ending of quotas require a range of policy measures at local and European level to support milk producers, according to IFA President Eddie Downey.

Addressing the IFA’s Dairy Farmer Conference, “The Business of Dairy Farming Post 2015”, Downey said farmers need more from the industry than month price cut announcements. "We need to see an industry strategy to provide volatility management solutions and sustainable milk prices, in which I believe the Irish Dairy Board must play a central role,” he said.

The IFA President said the response to the Russian ban at European level has been insufficient and called on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to demand measures to spare farmers of the "consequences of geopolitical decisions they cannot be expected to pay for".

He said that European dairy policy is "lacking when it comes to providing practical ways, other than the Single Farm Payment, to help farmers deal with income volatility".

Focus

The business of post-quota dairy farming in the next 10 years is the focus of this year's conference.

The morning session will discuss resources, finance and taxation while the afternoon session will focus on farming safely and sustainably. The final session will look at markets, volatility and industry development plans.

IFA National Dairy Committee Chairman Sean O’Leary said it is an exciting opportunity for farmers, "but it will also be challenging in that the necessary investment and business of dairy farming will have to take place in a much more volatile price environment than we have known in the past 30 years".