Richard Snell is a New Zealand-based adviser who worked has an adviser in Ireland and England for six years. Snell is based in the Waikato region of New Zealand, the country’s dairy heartland and ran his Irish business out of Cork.

As well as retaining a number of his clients in Ireland and Britain, Snell works with one of the largest dairy herds in New Zealand, the 11,000 cow Wallace business hear Hamilton, two hours south of Auckland. The Wallace farms are made up of 15 dairy and 4 large dairy support farms.

Having experience of the Irish family farm model as well as the mega scale in New Zealand, Snell believes that Irish dairy farmers can compete with their Kiwi counterparts but the average herd number needs to increase.

“Yes, New Zealand dairy farmers have a lot going for them with a low cost model and scale but there’s absolutely no reason why Irish dairy farmers can’t compete with a big market on your door step.

“I think the herd sizes need to expand to at least 100 cows as we have entered a new world in the milk industry post quota that is affecting dairy farmers all over the world, for example New Zealand farmers are rethinking sustainable debt levels in dairy businesses. There’s no future in a 50 cow herd in Ireland, if the dairy farm business is to be the main income earner for the family or in a position to service debt for expansion."

Land ownership

Snell also said that the Irish mentality regarding land ownership needs to change in order to be more competitive.

“If there’s a farm for a sale that’s a better farm than your own to meet your goals and that you can improve your system then you should look seriously at selling your farm and moving or being more open at doing lease deals, land swaps that would support these goals.”

Sales-led advice

Snell warns of those who are seeking professional support in their business to take advice from independent professionals not those who are employed by commercial companies with sales based incentives driving the advice.

“How can an adviser give a farmer proper, impartial and independent advice if they are also employed by a feed company or by a commercial company who’s there to make money from farmers? I think that’s one of the big problems with the adviser business in Ireland,” Snell said.

Snell will return to Ireland in August to catch up with clients.

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