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DEAR SIR: With respect to the proposed closure of Greenfield, important questions remain to be answered including:
Greenfield generated an average pre-tax profit of €695/ha over the five-year period of 2013-2017. This is well behind Moorepark’s budgeted figures. Can the gap be closed? If so, how? Land owners can generate risk-free, post-tax returns similar to the profits generated by an active dairy farm, where all costs are taken into account. Does this risk/reward make sense? How can young people get a stake in the industry if they are not gifted a farm? Greenfield suggests that by the time they pay the lease charges and a wage to live, there is very little left, if anything, to reinvest in the business.
What are the costs associated with delivering on the required sustainability agenda for a working dairy farm like Greenfield?
The level of information dissemination from Greenfield to new entrants to the sector has been excellent. Can it be replaced?
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