I am indebted to a friend for sending me on the latest views from China on the developing place of milk in the national official nutritional guidelines. According to the note, prominent doctors and even the government have advocated drinking milk to build the body’s immune system to help fend off “the dreaded COVID-19”.

Taking all dairy products together, China’s per-capita consumption of milk equivalent has risen to 34 litres per year, which is just a third of most western countries' consumption, so if present trends and official endorsement continues, there is enormous scope for growth. From an Irish point of view, the continuing Chinese distrust of domestically produced products adds to the attractiveness of Ireland as a supplier to Chinese customers. We can easily overlook the advantages that Irish dairying has in a world context. Its products, both butter and powders command premiums. In the case of butter, Kerrygold has achieved an extraordinary place on two of the most sophisticated markets in the world – Germany and the United States, while in the case of powders, the largest and most reputable manufacturers in the world have established large manufacturing plants here to supply the most discerning infant formula markets.

Coupled with all of that, the Irish dairy sector has been able to expand at world market prices while over the last 10 years, Europe’s historic 100% premium over New Zealand prices has been wiped out. Underpinning all that has been a grass production system developed by Teagasc, together with a rigorous scientific animal breeding regime from ICBF.

We can easily overlook where this combination of market and production developments has placed Irish dairying. An added bonus is that its main products including cheddar cheese are storable, allowing cheap grass to be, by far, the main feedstuff during the production season. No wonder dairy incomes have gone so far ahead of other Irish farm enterprises on a per-acre income basis. Dairying has emerged as by far the most competitive, mainstream Irish farming enterprise. Everything possible should be done to maintain this and to facilitate its continued expansion.