Farrell elected chair of Dairy Council for NI

Mark Blelock, Vice Chair of the DCNI, with Dr Mike Johnston, Chief Executive of DCNI and Dermot Farrell, newly appointed Chair of DCNI

Dermot is General Manager, Food Services Division with Lakeland Dairies, and has been with the company for over 25 years.

Dairy farmer Mark Blelock was elected vice Chairman.

Commenting following his election as Chairman Dermot Farrell said: “It is an honour and privilege to have the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland.

“In accepting this position I am acutely aware of the many challenges facing dairy farmers and dairy processors over the next few years.

“There may be changes within our industry, possibly of a nature and on a scale not seen for generations, and the uncertainty that exists at present is not helpful for dairy farming and dairy processing businesses.

“Therefore it is important that the Northern Ireland dairy sector has the Dairy Council to act on its behalf and to continue to promote the natural goodness of our milk and dairy products. We cannot take for granted public support for our industry and our products, so we must constantly tell the excellent story of our products and how we invest and operate to protect our environment and ensure the highest standards of animal welfare on our farms.”

Commenting on his election as vice Chairman, Mark Blelock said: “I am delighted to have been elected vice Chairman of the Dairy Council.

“As never before, we need our industry to be united and acting collectively. The Dairy Council is an ideal forum in which dairy farmers and dairy processors can come together in common cause to be a voice for our industry and to ensure that the work we all do to ensure Northern Ireland consumers have high quality, safe and nutritious milk and dairy products is promoted effectively, not only within Northern Ireland, but in the many countries around the world to which we export.”