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John Wynne, Stratford-on-Slaney, Co Wexford, milking 270 cows.
“The lads here appreciate being paid and being fed; structure is the key. They start at 8am and finish at 6pm and they like to know that’s their day. Dairying is very seasonal – there’s about five months of heavy workload and that’s it. So if Teagasc wants to fill a gap they need people to be more specialised, for example have one lad that could measure grass for 20 farmers.”
Jim Kavanagh, Avoca, Co Wicklow, milking 200 cows.
“We have an impending disaster on thousands of dairy farms due to a labour shortage. I think Teagasc has greatly underestimated the needs of dairy farmers at present when they project that there will be 2,000 new job opportunities over the next 10 years. My experience with foreign workers has been mixed. They may fit the bill as seasonal workers. But you need a lot more Level 5 or Level 6 workers to help manage the larger herds.”
Listen: 6,000 dairy workers wanted
What type of dairy workers are required in Ireland?
Foreign labour and intensive courses to help meet jobs demand
The legalities around hiring foreign labour
Farmer Writes: dairy farming isn't all dirty elbows and 12-hour days
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