Dairy Council for Northern Ireland chief executive, Ian Stevenson, has confirmed that the milk sector is on a ‘green growth’ trajectory.
Speaking to members of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists earlier this week, he indicated that future milk output in Northern Ireland would be closely linked to a range of environmental matters.
These included the sustainable management of the nutrients produced on farms, such as slurries and the need to actively address the challenge of reducing ammonia emissions.
“We will see an increase in milk output. But this will be on an incremental basis,” he said.
“Farmers are still converting to dairy from other sectors. But, at the same time, existing milk producers continue to leave the sector.”
According to the Dairy Council representative, improving sustainability levels across all metrics is now the biggest challenge now confronting the milk industry in Northern Ireland.
He also confirmed that change is taking place at an ever increasing rate within the sector.
“The Dairy Council is actively involved with all those stakeholder organisations and groupings charged with delivering a low carbon future across agriculture as a whole,” Stevenson said.
“A number of important announcements linked to sustainability will be made over the coming weeks. These include the confirmation of which carbon calculator will be officially endorsed in Northern Ireland.”
Dairy incomes
Campaigning to ensure that farmers in the sector are adequately supported into the future is another Dairy Council priority, according to its CEO.
“Up to now the single payment accounted for approximately one third of the profits generated by milk producers on an annual basis,” he continued.
“It is vitally important this situation is at least retained into the future.
“And, at a very practical level, it is important to ensure that milk producers are made eligible for as many as possible of the new farm support measures that come on stream during the period ahead.”
The Dairy Council representative stressed the role that new science will play in helping to deliver a sustainable future for the dairy industry.
He cited the development of methane inhibitors as an example of such innovation.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affais (DEFRA) has launched a Dairy Demonstrator initiative.
It is a project that aims to test and develop ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other impacts from dairy farms across the UK.
According to Ian Stevenson, research organisations based in Northern Ireland will play an important role in delivering the aims of this initiative.
“The Dairy Council plays an important representative role at the very heart of the milk industry. Our job is to communicate facts, allowing the general public make informed decisions about the dairy products they consume,” he said.
