Research Reveals
Irish dairy farmers ask for strange labour
Almost half of Irish dairy farmers have a permanent employee. This is apparent from a survey among dairy farmers who supply Glanbia. Dairy farmers even intend to further increase the share of foreign labour, but this is not very easy.
Unlike in the Netherlands, dairy farming in Ireland is seen as a driver of the economy. It also means that it is important to know how much employment the sector brings. A survey among Glanbia dairy farmers shows that almost half of the dairy farms provide employment.
200
euro
More demand for labour
The growth in dairy farming also boosts employment on the farms. John Moloney, regional manager at Teagasc (the agricultural investigative authority) agrees with the Irish media, but also warns that finding work can become a challenge.
Not only labor was an important subject in the research, land was also included. On average, an Irish dairy farmer manages about 80 hectares of land; a large share of this consists of rent. The price for this is on average €200 per acre, which comes down to 0,40 hectares. About half of the required acreage has been let under long-term contracts.
Derogation increasingly necessary
Is land a problem? The Irish dairy farmer usually thinks not. On the other hand, the share of 0% grazing will probably grow from a current 6% to 14% in 2020. Another interesting trend is that more and more dairy farmers who supply Glanbia are dependent on the nitrogen derogation. As a result, the Irish are increasingly finding themselves in a risky position with their business model, in which the Netherlands also finds itself.
Herman van den Pol
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
