Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with my colleague, Senator Denis O'Donovan, on the worrying report by Teagasc on the dairy industry. We must take action and call on the Minister to do all in his power to alleviate any hardship that could be caused to farmers. I also call on the new Commissioner, Mr. Hogan, to ensure at EU level that the base price of milk is brought in line with the cost of production, which is approximately 28 cent a litre in this country. That is at a bare minimum. Such a measure must be introduced to alleviate further hardship on farm families.

I spoke to a farmer this morning who has got out of suckler cows and invested in more dairy cows. The situation will have a considerable effect on people who have now decided to put all of their eggs in the one basket. They could find themselves in great difficulty from 2015 on. We must take heed of what has been reported by Teagasc and do whatever we can to alleviate further problems.