Two Offaly farmers complete inaugural Lakeland Dairies Young Farmer Programme

Willie Neville from Tullamore and Aoife Clarke from Rhode have completed the Lakeland Dairies Young Farmer Programme.

Open to Lakeland Dairies suppliers and their adult family members under the age of 35, the programme is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of their cooperative while giving them the practical knowledge and leadership skills needed to play an active role in its future. Willie and Aoife were part of a group of 26 young farmers who took part.

Throughout the programme, participants engaged in a wide-ranging curriculum covering financial literacy, farm succession and inheritance planning, and the operational working of a modern dairy processing co-operative. They also gained insights into the global dairy market, including international trade dynamics and the market forces shaping the industry.

Thanking the participants, Niall Matthews, Chairman, Lakeland Dairies, said: “With over 130 years behind us as a co-operative, our strength has always come from the strong personal relationships we have built with our farmer suppliers and shareholders. Succession, generational renewal, and encouraging young people into farming are challenges we all face. That’s why we are focused on connecting with our younger members and programmes like this help us to do just that.”

Lakeland Dairies is one of Ireland’s leading co-operatives, with 3,200 suppliers producing two billion litres of high-quality milk annually. This milk is used to manufacture more than 240 products, which are enjoyed in over 100 international markets.