The Irish dairy industry has undergone a remarkable transformation since the removal of EU milk quotas in 2015.
Since preparation for their removal began in the 2007 - 2009 period, and up to 2022, milk solids output increased by over 96%. While there was a reduction in output between 2022 and 2023, milk solids output increased by 1% in 2024.
This increased output has been achieved through increased cow numbers, increased milk yield per cow, increased fat and protein percentages, increased stocking rate, and additional land entering the dairy industry.
The industry must navigate challenging conditions brought about by changing environmental policies, system creep, variable pasture production, increased reliance on concentrate supplementation, and an economy operating at full employment, all amid ongoing uncertainty in policy and trade conditions.
Future Irish dairy farms must become more resilient by minimising reliance on external inputs, grazed pasture needs to be the system’s foundation due to its low cost and its impact on profitability and overall sustainability. In 2023/2024, home-grown forage made up 78% of cow diets; the target is to exceed 90%.
Challenging years
PastureBase Ireland data shows that even in challenging years like 2023 and 2024 individual farms can grow up to 15t DM/ha with the national average of 10.4 t DM/ha back calculated from NFS data, highlighting potential for increased pasture growth to increase carrying capacity while reducing external feeds.
Embracing the EBI, with a cow suited to grazing systems, while investing in appropriate technology will reduce labour demand and increase work life balance.
A well-optimised system where feed supply and demand are balanced, improves profitability, lowers emissions, and enhances nutrient balance and biodiversity while also providing an increasingly rewarding and satisfying work environment.
Over the past 10 years family farm income on dairy farms has grown at a rate significantly exceeding inflation. From both farm to processing, the dairy industry has invested in animals, facilities and processing capacity. This investment was achieved with only modest increases in overall farm debt and a substantial decrease in debt per unit of production.
The dairy industry has dealt with a pandemic, a war on the continent of Europe and now is dealing with the introduction of tariffs and potential trade wars. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have declined in 2023 (4.7%) relative to 2022, with reductions of (4.1%) relative to 2018 and further reductions are expected for 2025.
Emissions
Agricultural accounts for 99.3% of Ireland’s ammonia emissions. In recent years the increased use of abatement technologies such as protected urea, LESS and reduced crude protein percentages in animal feed diets has resulted in reductions in ammonia emissions. Ammonia emissions in 2023 were 4.2% below 2022 and national ammonia emissions have been reduced consistently since 2018. This progress brings Ireland into compliance with EU ammonia emission reduction targets.
The early indications for nitrate concentrations in water in 2024 are showing signs of improvement with the EPA’s most recent “Early Insights Indicator report” showing declines in nitrate, albeit the south and south-east are still too high.
These changes are driven by policy changes under the Nitrates Directive, increased fertiliser N costs in 2022 and 2023, greater focus on nutrient use efficiency and nitrogen management at farm level, all of which were coupled with the weather conditions observed in 2024.
This improvement, while welcomed, needs to be sustained across all enterprises and will be underpinned by Teagasc’s Better Farming for Water campaign.
The industry is dealing with challenges around generational renewal which is set against a backdrop of an economy at full employment, negative perceptions around dairy farm careers and some negative portrayal of farming in the media. It is necessary to develop long-term strategies around work-life balance and people management on farms, as well as supporting the next generation in terms of skills development and achievable career pathways at all levels.
The reality is that the dairy industry has a track record of embracing technologies while dealing with and meeting challenges head on. Who would bet against the industry doing the same over the next 10 years?
Evaluating your 2025 calf rearing season
The milk feeding phase of the 2025 calf rearing season has recently ended, making it a perfect time to evaluate how well your season went this year, and identify areas for improvement ahead of spring 2026.
A successful calf rearing programme promotes animal health and welfare, focuses on achieving high weight gains (>0.7 kg/day), and manages labour efficiently while keeping costs under control. Reflecting on this season’s performance – what worked well and what could be refined – can help you set clear goals for the next season.
Taking stock now allows you to fine-tune your approach and improve productivity, profitability, and animal welfare in the next calf-rearing season.
A few key questions to reflect on:
Did any calves get sick? If so, when did they get sick and what caused the illness?Was your housing suitable for rearing calves?Perhaps there were issues with ventilation causing pneumonia?Or maybe the layout did not facilitate labour efficient work practices?How much milk replacer did you feed? Was this above or below what you targeted?Did your calves do very well up to weaning, but since they have been weaned they are not putting on as much weight as you would like?Often small tweaks to a rearing system can reap great rewards the following season. For example, the importance of ensuring calves receive colostrum is well understood.
However, recent results from work undertaken at Teagasc Moorepark show that calves that received two feeds of transition milk within 24 hours of birth were healthier – perhaps this is a strategy that can be employed if calf health is an issue on-farm.
When we consider feeding milk, calves can be fed whole milk or high-quality milk replacer. As well as different sources of milk the volume of milk offered also differs between farms. Recent surveys completed by Teagasc Moorepark showed that the majority of farmers are currently feeding 5-5lt milk/day to calves.
The Teagasc blueprint for calf rearing suggests that two bags (~40 kg) of milk replacer are fed from birth to weaning, with calves being weaned at 10-weeks old.
A critical component of the pre-weaning period is transitioning the calves from a pre- to post-weaning diet. This involves offering calves concentrate, roughage and water from the first days of life to encourage solid feed intake, to aid rumen development.
The Irish dairy industry has undergone a remarkable transformation since the removal of EU milk quotas in 2015.
Since preparation for their removal began in the 2007 - 2009 period, and up to 2022, milk solids output increased by over 96%. While there was a reduction in output between 2022 and 2023, milk solids output increased by 1% in 2024.
This increased output has been achieved through increased cow numbers, increased milk yield per cow, increased fat and protein percentages, increased stocking rate, and additional land entering the dairy industry.
The industry must navigate challenging conditions brought about by changing environmental policies, system creep, variable pasture production, increased reliance on concentrate supplementation, and an economy operating at full employment, all amid ongoing uncertainty in policy and trade conditions.
Future Irish dairy farms must become more resilient by minimising reliance on external inputs, grazed pasture needs to be the system’s foundation due to its low cost and its impact on profitability and overall sustainability. In 2023/2024, home-grown forage made up 78% of cow diets; the target is to exceed 90%.
Challenging years
PastureBase Ireland data shows that even in challenging years like 2023 and 2024 individual farms can grow up to 15t DM/ha with the national average of 10.4 t DM/ha back calculated from NFS data, highlighting potential for increased pasture growth to increase carrying capacity while reducing external feeds.
Embracing the EBI, with a cow suited to grazing systems, while investing in appropriate technology will reduce labour demand and increase work life balance.
A well-optimised system where feed supply and demand are balanced, improves profitability, lowers emissions, and enhances nutrient balance and biodiversity while also providing an increasingly rewarding and satisfying work environment.
Over the past 10 years family farm income on dairy farms has grown at a rate significantly exceeding inflation. From both farm to processing, the dairy industry has invested in animals, facilities and processing capacity. This investment was achieved with only modest increases in overall farm debt and a substantial decrease in debt per unit of production.
The dairy industry has dealt with a pandemic, a war on the continent of Europe and now is dealing with the introduction of tariffs and potential trade wars. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture have declined in 2023 (4.7%) relative to 2022, with reductions of (4.1%) relative to 2018 and further reductions are expected for 2025.
Emissions
Agricultural accounts for 99.3% of Ireland’s ammonia emissions. In recent years the increased use of abatement technologies such as protected urea, LESS and reduced crude protein percentages in animal feed diets has resulted in reductions in ammonia emissions. Ammonia emissions in 2023 were 4.2% below 2022 and national ammonia emissions have been reduced consistently since 2018. This progress brings Ireland into compliance with EU ammonia emission reduction targets.
The early indications for nitrate concentrations in water in 2024 are showing signs of improvement with the EPA’s most recent “Early Insights Indicator report” showing declines in nitrate, albeit the south and south-east are still too high.
These changes are driven by policy changes under the Nitrates Directive, increased fertiliser N costs in 2022 and 2023, greater focus on nutrient use efficiency and nitrogen management at farm level, all of which were coupled with the weather conditions observed in 2024.
This improvement, while welcomed, needs to be sustained across all enterprises and will be underpinned by Teagasc’s Better Farming for Water campaign.
The industry is dealing with challenges around generational renewal which is set against a backdrop of an economy at full employment, negative perceptions around dairy farm careers and some negative portrayal of farming in the media. It is necessary to develop long-term strategies around work-life balance and people management on farms, as well as supporting the next generation in terms of skills development and achievable career pathways at all levels.
The reality is that the dairy industry has a track record of embracing technologies while dealing with and meeting challenges head on. Who would bet against the industry doing the same over the next 10 years?
Evaluating your 2025 calf rearing season
The milk feeding phase of the 2025 calf rearing season has recently ended, making it a perfect time to evaluate how well your season went this year, and identify areas for improvement ahead of spring 2026.
A successful calf rearing programme promotes animal health and welfare, focuses on achieving high weight gains (>0.7 kg/day), and manages labour efficiently while keeping costs under control. Reflecting on this season’s performance – what worked well and what could be refined – can help you set clear goals for the next season.
Taking stock now allows you to fine-tune your approach and improve productivity, profitability, and animal welfare in the next calf-rearing season.
A few key questions to reflect on:
Did any calves get sick? If so, when did they get sick and what caused the illness?Was your housing suitable for rearing calves?Perhaps there were issues with ventilation causing pneumonia?Or maybe the layout did not facilitate labour efficient work practices?How much milk replacer did you feed? Was this above or below what you targeted?Did your calves do very well up to weaning, but since they have been weaned they are not putting on as much weight as you would like?Often small tweaks to a rearing system can reap great rewards the following season. For example, the importance of ensuring calves receive colostrum is well understood.
However, recent results from work undertaken at Teagasc Moorepark show that calves that received two feeds of transition milk within 24 hours of birth were healthier – perhaps this is a strategy that can be employed if calf health is an issue on-farm.
When we consider feeding milk, calves can be fed whole milk or high-quality milk replacer. As well as different sources of milk the volume of milk offered also differs between farms. Recent surveys completed by Teagasc Moorepark showed that the majority of farmers are currently feeding 5-5lt milk/day to calves.
The Teagasc blueprint for calf rearing suggests that two bags (~40 kg) of milk replacer are fed from birth to weaning, with calves being weaned at 10-weeks old.
A critical component of the pre-weaning period is transitioning the calves from a pre- to post-weaning diet. This involves offering calves concentrate, roughage and water from the first days of life to encourage solid feed intake, to aid rumen development.
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