11 December 2023

Why the Irish dairy industry has the capacity for continued growth

International dairy consultant, David Beca joins Emma-Louise Coffey for part two of his discussion on the Dairy Edge podcast to outline the global milk supply trends over the last two decades and he speculates on what milk-producing nations have the capacity to meet growing consumer demands.

David explains that demand for dairy is growing by 1-3% per annum, with the range being determined by economic conditions.

Examining individual countries, David sees compounding growth in milk supply in countries such as Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa, while others have remained static or contracted e.g. the UK and Australia.

David anticipates that the Irish dairy industry has the capacity for continued growth in supply in the future, but clarifies that this is dependent on external regulation and individual farmer’s ability to have clarity in their production system and utilisation of grass in the diet.

Listen in below:

For more information on David’s presentation at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, click here.

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast, a co-production with LastCastMedia.com, visit the show page.