Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 July 2018
712. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of dairy cows in the national herd in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30461/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table details the number of dairy cows in Ireland as extracted from the December Livestock survey from the Central Statistics Office from the period 2010 to 2017. The figure for December 2018 will not be available until 2019.
|
Year |
Dairy |
|
2010 |
1,006,900 |
|
2011 |
1,035,600 |
|
2012 |
1,060,300 |
|
2013 |
1,082,500 |
|
2014 |
1,127,700 |
|
2015 |
1,239,900 |
|
2016 |
1,295,200 |
|
2017 |
1,343,300 |
In 2017, Ireland exported dairy products to approaching 140 countries with a value exceeding €4.6 billion, an increase of over 17% compared to 2016, representing high-quality value-added produce.
Irish milk production in 2017 approached 7.5 billion litres, up from 6.8 billion litres in 2016 and an increase of almost 50% on 2007-2009 average (Food Harvest target).
The long-term fundamentals of the global dairy market are strong, with growing global demand projected from fast developing countries with increasing middle classes and more westernised diets. Whilst significant challenges have continued throughout recent years, I am confident that the Irish and EU dairy sector is well placed to gain from the opportunity presented by expanding global demand whilst simultaneously addressing the aforementioned challenges with a particular focus on the challenges of price volatility. Ireland must of course continue to ensure that any increase in the output of the Irish dairy herd is carried out in both an economic and sustainable manner.
