Professor Gerry Boyle:

There is one additional point, of which the Chair might be aware already.

We had an interesting session on the application of lean principles to dairy farming, which is an idea borrowed from the industrial sector. Co-operatives use it but it can also be applied to farms. We are applying those principles to both pig and dairy farming. The allow farmers to identify more efficient uses of their time, the management of cow flows and the development of a standard operating procedure at calving time, milking and so on. Farmers waste a lot of time looking for implements or such and getting the milking kit out. That is an interesting development that we are doing a lot of work and research on.