THE north's dairy sector is staring at a potential crisis and "cannot take for granted public support for our industry and our products", according to the new chair of its representative body.
Dermot Farrell, who is general manager of the food services division at Lakeland Dairies, was speaking after being elected chairman of the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland.
It represents major milk processors in the region, including Dale Farm, Glanbia Cheese, Glanbia Ireland, and Lakeland Dairies, who between them account for around 90 per cent of the 2.4 billion litres of milk collected from northern farms each year.
He said: “In accepting this position I'm acutely aware of the many challenges facing dairy farmers and dairy processors over the next few years.
“There may be changes within our industry, possibly of a nature and on a scale not seen for generations, and the uncertainty that exists at present is not helpful for dairy farming and dairy processing businesses.
“Therefore it is important that the Northern Ireland dairy sector has the Dairy Council to act on its behalf and to continue to promote the natural goodness of our milk and dairy products.
“We cannot take for granted public support for our industry and our products, so we must constantly tell the excellent story of our products and how we invest and operate to protect our environment and ensure the highest standards of animal welfare on our farms."
Elected as vice-chairman, Mark Blelock added: “As never before, we need our industry to be united and acting collectively.
“The Dairy Council is an ideal forum in which dairy farmers and dairy processors can come together in common cause to be a voice for our industry and to ensure the work we all do to ensure consumers have high quality, safe and nutritious milk and dairy products is promoted effectively, not only within Northern Ireland, but in the many countries around the world to which we export.”
Earlier this year the organisation's chief executive Dr Mike Johnston warned that dairy producers and farmers in the north face a “certain doomsday scenario” if there is a no-deal Brexit and claimed the future of 3,000 farm families in the region was on the line.
At present, 35 per cent of the entire Northern Ireland milk pool is processed at facilities in the Republic of Ireland, and if raw milk cannot be transported south without significant delays and/or certification requirements, then the industry is facing what he described as "a crisis of epic proportions".
