DEAR EDITOR

I admire Tirlán for going from my young days travelling to Mahonbridge Creamery with a few churns on a horse and cart, to where it is now – and thanks to the women and men that have made it so. I especially thank Mr Byrne, who never left us down.

There was a big family of 12 of us and only for Waterford Co-op and dairy, I don’t know how we would have survived. There are a few stars in heaven twinkling down on you. There’s a new man at the helm now and I was impressed with his speech before stepping into the big shoes, about how he would focus on what we have and improve on it.

Share talk – I have shares in the drawer for years. Now I know they don’t make you a millionaire, but the deal we have with Glanbia to cash our shares has a lot of noughts behind it. I am impressed with the businesses we have bought in the past, helping to make our milk and animal feed sales great.

The circle of milk and animal feed has given strength to our dairy, beef and cereal production, and employment.

There is a word I heard and it’s ‘vegan’ – how does that feed into our circle, will it take focus from selling our milk? It seems to me to be the odd one out.

We farmers need to stand together and think about our future, discuss with the board and those we have elected about how we feel. I am so proud of our farmers and my Tirlán.