DEAR SIR: I am an organic dairy farmer from Co Laois, supplying Glenisk with organic milk since April 2018.

I am very happy to have built a solid relationship with Glenisk over the last three years.

Glenisk gave me great support and encouragement when I started milking just seven cows in April 2018.

With their help and encouragement, I have built up the herd to what it is today – I hope to calve down 60 spring-calving cows in spring 2022.

I am writing this letter to compliment Glenisk management and the Cleary family for the manner in which they have handled the devastating fire and its aftermath. Straight away, the Cleary family and senior manager Emma Walls were out to reassure farmers that their milk would be collected and paid for as normal until they can get back up and running.

Glenisk has shown great loyalty to their farmer suppliers and I believe this is in line with the four principles of organic agriculture – health, ecology, fairness and care. Glenisk issued a statement straight after the fire was out, thanking the emergency services and their own staff for the way they dealt with the fire.

The first priority was the health and safety of their staff – this was very good to hear. Vincent Cleary then took to the radio on Tuesday to thank everyone for the support they have given Glenisk.

The company also issued a statement on social media, thanking everyone and asking those who want to help to donate to Self Help Africa’s one million trees campaign. Glenisk was aiming to get to two million trees planted to help those who are most severely affected by climate change.

In this statement, it also asked the Irish people to support other Irish businesses while they are getting back on their feet. Glenisk showed great leadership and commitment to the organic dairy industry and I believe other businesses could learn from the honesty and integrity with which it dealt with a devastating fire and its aftermath. Glenisk is a ray of light in the Irish dairy industry.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Glenisk and the senior management team for their loyalty to their organic farmer suppliers and pledge my support for Glenisk into the future.