Dairy sector will require 6,000 skilled workers to maintain expansion plans

MORE skilled labour, partnerships and share milking will be required for the future expansion of the dairy herd, with 6,000 new workers needed over the next decade, a report has warned.

Following a busy spring that saw labour shortages become an issue, Teagasc has unveiled a blueprint for the industry to help boost the numbers choosing dairying as a career amid a severe shortage of new recruits.

With dairy cow numbers in herds over 30 cows expected to rise 2pc each year to 1.6 million by 2025, Teagasc’s Paidi Kelly warned an extra 255 people will be needed each year over the next decade on expanding farms. In addition, 3,900 people will be required for regeneration or to replace those retiring from farming.

Mr Kelly said the expansion post-quotas has so far mainly centred around existing farmers increasing cow numbers and taking on the extra workload themselves.

“Further expansion is going to require more arrange- ments like partnerships, leasing and sharemilking and it is going to require more skilled people,” he said.

Dairygold’s Jim Woulfe said the last 24 months has been “transformational” in the dairy industry as it was confirmed the country’s dairy herd is at least one year to two years ahead of hitting the 50pc rise in milk production set out in Food Harvest 2020.

The figures now show dairy numbers have increased by 327,000 since 2010 to over 1.35 million, with cows in herds of 100 or more up from 13pc in 2005 to 47pc in 2016.

Mr Woulfe said there had been heavy capital investment at processor level of €1bn and major upgrading on farms. Yet, he said concerns had arisen this spring and it all centres around people at farm level and processor level to make it all work.

Mr Kelly pointed out the 170 graduates a year from the specific dairy focused Teagasc courses would not meet the demand of 688 recruits a year.

The People in Dairy Project report calls for dairying to be promoted as an attractive career with good conditions, the promotion of labour efficient operations, an increase in numbers on dairy orientated courses and development of new training programmes for farm employers.

He said they felt there was a positive message out there for people to get involved but there must be a good work balance at farm level to attract talent.

“You don’t need to own a farm or be from a farm to have a successful career in dairying,” said Mr Kelly. “We need to sell the message of the opportunities.”

Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle said it was a serious situation and urgent action was needed. “The most important requirement is to establish in young people’s minds and more importantly in the minds of their parents that there is a fantastic career to be had in dairying,” he said.

Prof Boyle said they were going to create a dedicated dairy education and career promotions officer in Teagasc.

Vet Conor Geraghty warned a significant safety issue had emerged this spring with expanding farms being driven to produce more at lower costs and some farmers were “like the walking dead”.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said it identified the need for policy solutions to the roadblock that is emerging quite rapidly for the expansion.

He said the improvement in the jobs market had contributed to the dairy labour problems. “I am conscious there is no silver bullet,” he said.

Mr Creed said there was a need to ensure workers could view dairy as a career opportunity with partnerships and sharemilking, while also pointing out the significant numbers on the live register.

He pointed out issuing work visas to non-EEA workers may not be the solution as it required fulltime employment with a significant wage.