Mr. Denis Murphy:

There is a mystery there. Going back over quite a number of years, the manufacturing price within this State and in Northern Ireland have been roughly the same. In effect, the producers in Northern Ireland have had an all-year-round milk production system which was under the remit of the old milk marketing boards and so forth. They have been stuck with that system. The most efficient system is milk production off grass, as has been emphasised by Teagasc. It is possible for a liquid milk producer to be an efficient producer off grass. The important elements are to ensure intense grazing, produce as much fodder off one's own grass base as possible and to minimise the use of concentrates. The two essential parts of efficient milk production are herd and grassland management. The farmers who are good at that, who have the right EBI cows in their herds and who reduce the amount of concentrate feed used do well. In that regard, Ireland is the New Zealand of the EU because our strength lies in our emphasis on pasture-based production.

The question of raw milk is really a public health issue. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is examining the issue currently. We pasteurise milk to reduce any risks to health. The pasteurisation process has been a basic of the dairy industry for many years. There would be risks involved in the consumption of raw milk unless the hygiene standards on the farm are absolutely top class, as verified by veterinary experts. The same applies to cheese produced from raw milk. Bacteria in such products can cause problems for consumers.