DEAR SIR: We in Co Longford ICMSA welcome the decision at the recent special AGM to reduce the number of directors on the board of management of Lakeland Dairies from 22 men to 13 men, with the option to co-opt three directors.

However, we note that no provision has been made to address the glaring gender imbalance.

We in Longford ICMSA demand that three of the co-opted seats be filled by women and that this provision be extended so that gender equity is achieved throughout the board and senior management.

The notion of women on farms carrying buckets around the yard, feeding calves and chickens, cooking the dinner, washing up and bearing large families has long passed.

The farm wife/partner of today is well educated, often with a professional career, with a lot to offer in business and administration.

Surely, it is time for Lakeland Dairies to acknowledge this with a move towards inclusivity? It is time to end the outmoded status quo perpetuated by images of a male-dominated board in Lakeland accounts and senior management which featured in the recent annual Lakeland report. If Lakeland Dairies wishes to be a truly progressive and modern organisation, this gender imbalance needs to be urgently addressed.

Many cattle marts around the country are successfully managed by women. In the wider agricultural community, many women hold significant management positions.

Indeed, many women are running their own dairy enterprises. It is for the latter, in particular, that gender balance needs to be addressed in Lakeland Dairies to fulfil the demands of inclusivity in modern business.