When the peak of milk production in May reaches its peak, there may be only 1-2% of the reserve processing capacity in Ireland, which creates a huge danger for the sector that is trying to cope with the Covid-19 problem.
Direct speech: “If something goes wrong, the consequences can be unimaginable for the entire industry,” said Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) director Conor Malvihill.
The industry representative said that peak deliveries in 2020 could reach unprecedented 250 million liters per week.
43% of the milk produced throughout Ireland is used to make Baileys liqueur.
Direct speech: “As this crisis develops and deepens, our concern is aggravated because potential cases of Covid-19 infection by employees at production sites can lead to the failure of the production line or even the whole factory. This is something we cannot afford, and this will have serious consequences for farmers and companies.
He said that the loss of any plant due to the loss of key personnel due to Covid or mechanical failure could have disastrous consequences for both farmers and the dairy cooperation system.
Malvihill added: “The proliferation of Covid-19 has led to tremendous logistical efforts to safely collect milk even before its peak. The industry sees a huge commitment from everyone that they will do their best to help each other and suppliers. “We were engaged in critical contingency planning in all companies to cope with this problem by simulating various scenarios.”
- The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) estimates that 5% of the potato crop nationwide remains in the fields.
- Earlier we wrote that farm visits in Ireland should be kept to an absolute minimum.
- According to the latest industry data, in Ireland this year there has been a decrease in the rate of growth of the dairy herd and, according to forecasts, by 2022 the growth of the livestock may cease altogether.
