Lakeland Dairies has commenced a campaign of engagement with Irish Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by meeting with Midlands Northwest MEP Ciaran Mullooly.
The latest campaign by the Co. Cavan-headquartered co-operative follows on from meetings with An Taoiseach Simon Harris TD, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Rural Development Heather Humphreys as well as other TDs and Senators.
Lakeland Dairies’ Chairperson Niall Matthews, Group CEO Colin Kelly and Group Head of Sustainability Rory Farrell met with Ciaran Mullooly on Monday 26th. Shared concerns including protecting the Nitrates Derogation, animal welfare, generational renewal and the role of the European Parliament were all discussed.
Lakeland Dairies will meet with other MEPs in the coming weeks in Ireland and Brussels on these topics.
Speaking after the meeting, Lakeland Dairies’ Chairperson Niall Matthews said:
“We are pleased to welcome newly-elected Ciaran Mullooly to Lakeland Dairies to discuss topics of mutual concern and we wish him well in his role. The future of Irish dairy farming rests in Ireland and in Brussels, therefore, it is important to engage meaningfully with those elected to the Parliament to ensure they are aware of the issues affecting their constituents. We are at a major crossroads in agriculture with a huge volume of uncertainties ahead of us.
“It is imperative that our MEPs show leadership and realise that the future of Ireland’s dairy industry and thousands of people in the rural economy across the country is in their hands. They must do everything possible to ensure that our industry can be viable and flourish into the future. Farmers voted for our MEPs on that basis and expect to see strong representation on the issues that are of most concern for our sector.”