Out of the 213 members sitting on boards in Ireland, just seven are women, with the remaining 206 male.

Seven co-ops have no woman on their board at all.

Role of the board

In general, it is the role of the board of directors of each milk processor to set the agenda for co-op senior management. Effectively it is they who set milk prices and provide direction to future policy and investment.

The idea that so few woman sit on these boards is not likely to go down well among female farmers in Ireland.

As reported in the Irish Farmers Journal on Thursday, 24,000 women hold herd numbers in Ireland, with Cork, Mayo, Galway and Donegal citing the highest number of herd numbers held by women in the country.

Read More

Irish co-op boards – who's on them and what's their role?

17% of herd numbers held by women

My Farming Week: Bridget Murphy, Ox Mountains, Co Sligo

All-female silage crew to take on Guinness world record attempt