In a major debate on the future of the dairy industry held in the Committee of the Regions in Brussels on the 16th April Leitrim County Councillor Enda Stenson called for measures to ensure that farming can be a secure, sustainable industry that can attract and retain young people.
Cllr Stenson said that Milk quotas are now gone and now we must embrace the opportunities this presents for farmers. There is an increasing global demand for dairy products being driven by a growing global population, increasing affluence and the westernisation of diet in developing countries.
He added: "I believe we must bring back a focus on a sector which can be competitive in global markets and that is built on a natural, environmentally sustainable production model that deliver safe, fairly-priced food, both for consumers and producers".
Cllr Stenson submitted a number of amendments to the Committee of the Regions opinion which supports "additional measures from the European Commission and EIB to inject investment and liquidity into the industry" and he hopes that this will lead to more on-farm investments and encouraging more young people back to farming.
