Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney has announced details of a major conference on the future of the dairy sector on 19 November next. The event, to be held at Dublin's Moran’s Red Cow Hotel, is being organised jointly with Teagasc.

The Conference will cover three main themes:

• the market opportunities for the Irish dairy sector to 2025,

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• the management of risk in a post-quota environment,

• and the on-farm efficiencies required to drive profitability at farm level.

Minister Coveney commented that “we are well and truly on the countdown to the end of quotas next April and we should take stock now of where the Irish dairy sector stands in its readiness for this new era. It’s essential that we are fully aware of the current issues which might influence opportunities as well as challenges that will be faced by all stakeholders in the sector. The aim of the Conference will be to set the scene in this context and importantly will also include a focus on practical issues of concern to farmers in their efforts to drive profitability during this exciting phase of expansion and opportunity”.

Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said “Innovation on dairy farms and in milk processing companies can drive efficiency, as Irish dairy farmers embrace the era of smart farming. The clear message for dairy farmers considering expanding milk production is to ensure they are as efficient as possible first through the use of the best technologies available. He stressed the importance for each individual producer to benchmark their own technical and financial performance against the best dairy farmers on similar soil types”.