The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Mary Coughlan, has said she expects the current buoyancy in the dairy industry to continue for the foreseeable future.
She has urged dairy farmers to stay in production, but she also warned that international markets are volatile.
The dairy industry is worth €2 billion annually, and despite a fall in numbers there are still about 20,000 dairy farmers in the country.
Following a drop in prices in recent years, the industry has seen a recovery with international prices rising to the benefit of both manufacturers and farmers.
This afternoon, the Department of Food and Agriculture is holding a forum of dairy executives and farm leaders to help the sector make the most of the recent positive developments, and to prepare for changes in international regulations and consumer trends.
Minister of State Trevor Sargent today called for improvement in organic production, and an interdepartmental committee on food is being set up to look at issues facing the country's largest indigenous manufacturing industry.
A consultative committee from within the industry is also being established to assist the Minister in evaluating policy proposals in advance of next years review of the Common Agricultural Policy.
