23 November 2025

Prepare for the year ahead at the National Dairy Conference

With so many key areas of the dairy enterprise under pressure from inevitable change, Tom Murphy, Dairy Advisor in Athenry, Galway, tells why a day at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference is a must for dairy farmers.

Before planning your dairy exploits for 2026, you need to head to the Teagasc National Dairy Conference. Get the low down in the key areas that will likely impact your business, and the pointers and direction to prepare for the year ahead, Tom Murphy, Dairy Advisor in Athenry, Galway, tells us more.

Although the figures for 2025 are just projections yet, the best part of the year is done and the signs and achievements at farm level suggest it’s a good year for dairying in this neck of the woods. What will 2026 bring?

Grass growth

PastureBase Ireland reports grass grown on dairy farms to mid-October 2025 of about 12 t DM/ha, on track to result in an average of about 13 t DM/ha, although there is wide variation between farms. This is an increase of 650 kg DM/ha on the last five-year average, and 1.3 t DM/ha over last year. Furthermore, weather conditions in the Galway-Clare region avoided most of the drought extremes experienced further afield. Remember, only the best at growing grass are recording it!

Financial performance

The National Farm Survey (NFS) summary of dairy figures and trends was hugely positive for 2024 when presented earlier this year. Compared with 2023, it showed a 5-day increase in days at grass as well as a 20% increase in milk price, where fat content increased by 0.05 points to 4.34% and protein content increased by 0.03points to 3.55%.

Teagasc analysis of dairy profit monitor reports for 2024 told the same warmly welcomed good news. Average net margin per litre of milk produced in 2024 reached 20 cent or €1,140 per cow. Earlier projections at profit margins for 2025 suggested a higher milk price (by a couple of cent/litre) and a possible 20% to 30% profit improvement on the previous year.

However, if you’re an average type of person with at least average intelligence, you will realise that all the above figures are qualified as average, and the theme is hiding many important associated facts, trends and figures which haven’t been mentioned.

The reality is that at farm level there is huge variation between farms. If we had time to drill into the variation in our profit monitors (typically completed by the more commercially minded dairy farmers) and the NFS figures, it would show a high level of vulnerability on farms.

The same NFS figures show that in 2024, although milk production per cow remained unchanged that concentrate usage increased by 11% (reaching 0.25kg per litre of milk) compared to the previous year.

It also showed an increase of 7% on Nitrogen per ha use on grassland. Further analyses of our Teagasc profit monitors showed the total cost per litre of milk production increased by more than seven cent per litre (from 26c to 33.3c) when the five-year period of 2020 to 2024 was compared to the five-year period of 2014 to 2019.

More worrying the two most recently analysed years of 2023 and 2024 show a total (average) cost of almost 38cent per litre.

Dr. Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, joined Stuart Childs on the latest Dairy Edge to preview the upcoming Dairy Conferences. For further insights, listen in below:

Challenges

Although dairy farmers have adapted well to the increased levels of regulation and constraints to their operations in compliance with Nitrates and water and air protection, together with their commitments to producing quality food in a sustainable manner, this rate of increased regulation will continue to march on. We face a particularly vulnerable time where the 6^th Nitrates Action Plan is currently up for sanction in Brussels.

Although the main sentiment or rhetoric in dairy circles has been to highlight a relatively positive period followed by a good year in dairying, milk price has in recent times begun a downward spiral. Furthermore, world market trading prices and outlook are not promising, with the possibility of milk price landing at less than 40 cent per litre in 2026. We also live in hope of retaining our Nitrates Derogation at a farm workable level. Never was it more important to get a handle on your costs, output figures and components – in other words make sure you get a profit monitor analysis of your 2025 figures through your advisor.

The National Dairy Conference – what to expect

With so many key areas of the dairy enterprise under pressure from inevitable change, the updating and informative attendance at this year’s Dairy Conference will be a day well spent.

Topics to be discussed by industry experts include:

Milk markets & key farm performance priorities for 2026

What’s happening in international milk markets- prospects for 2026
Key Performance Indicators – what lessons can we learn from real-farm data?
Using benchmarking to help drive my farm performance

Model for succession & progression in dairy farming

Partnerships, profit sharing, leasing farming – which option is right for me?
Farmers experience of collaborative dairy farming- making it work for both parties

Driving further progress in Irish dairy breeding

Reviewing EBI after 25 years- a lot done and more to do?
Interactive audience discussion on future breeding priorities

Research updates:

Practical steps to protecting water quality on dairy farms
Controlling dairy production costs in 2026
Update on the Pasture Profit and Clover Indexes

If you can’t make the conference in the Kilmore Hotel, Cavan on Thursday 27^th November, it also runs Wednesday 26^thNovember in the Talbot Hotel, Clonmel. Better still bring along a family member or travel with your local Discussion Group to make better use of the learnings.

For more on the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, visit here.