News

Over 6,500 Signatures of Support for Local Dairy Farming & New NDC 'Mark'

Friday 25th September 2009: The National Dairy Council (NDC) collected 6,501 signatures from members of the farming community and visitors to The National Ploughing Championships, in support of local dairy farming and the new NDC packaging mark launched last week. The new National Dairy Council packaging mark gives consumers the assurance that they are supporting thousands of local jobs, because the milk or cream they are purchasing has been farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.

“The National Dairy Council mark empowers consumers in the Republic of Ireland to make more informed choices when they are shopping in supporting 4,676 jobs on local dairy farms and in local dairies and co-ops, because they can clearly identify what milk or cream products have been both farmed and processed here, in the Republic of Ireland,” says Helen Brophy, Chief Executive of the National Dairy Council. “This mark allows consumers to select products which contribute to our own tax returns, which contribute to our own economy and which also contribute to our own communities through initiatives such as the School Milk & Dairy Programme.”

The National Dairy Council mark will be introduced initially to consumer milk and cream categories - appearing on packs in shops on a phased basis between now and mid-January. A full list of packs licensed to carry the mark available at the NDC is available here. It is the intention of the NDC to review the potential expansion of the programme in 2010 to allow for the application for licences related to other dairy products such as cheese, yogurt or butter, which will further expand the number of jobs supported by the NDC mark.

Politicians, Farm Leaders & Hurlers Unite Behind Local Dairy Farming

The Minister for Agriculture, visiting politicians and leaders from farm organisations such as IFA, ICMSA and Macra na Feirme were amongst those to sign the wall of support for the new NDC packaging mark and local dairy farming at the National Ploughing Championships.

Kilkenny hurlers Michael Fennelly, John Tennyson & Martin Comerford joined with Tipperary hurlers Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly to sign the 'wall of support', whilst one of the first signatures was that of 7 year old Sorcha Cronin, the daughter of dairy farmer Dominic Cronin from Boherbue, Co Cork.

National Dairy Council & FAI, EA Sports

Former Republic of Ireland Soccer International Ray Houghton was also at the national dairy Council Stand at the National Ploughing Championships on Thursday 24th September to show his support for the School Milk & Dairy Programme and its new Fresh Milk Club.

With an emphasis on ‘balanced lifestyle’ the NDC provided visitors with the Ploughing Championships with an opportunity for some fun - able to test their soccer skills in an interactive way and win spot prizes in association with the FAI and EA Sports.

A second competition, organised in association with Self Help Africa, gave visitors to both the National Dairy Council and Self Help Africa exhibition stands the opportunity to enter a daily draw during the Ploughing Championships for daily prize vouchers.

 

For further information contact:

Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications - 01-2766117 - nina@progresspr.ie