Farming in a partnership with his son James, John Dunne says rising cattle prices, succession planning, environmental sustainability and generational renewal all play a central role in shaping future profitability
John Dunne and his son James run a suckler, dairy-bred calf and tillage enterprise in Co Offaly. Photo: Alf Harvey
John Dunne has been a full-time farmer for the past 40 years, and during that time, he has seen beef prices rise from ‘a pound a pound’, to €4.00/kg, to record highs of over €7.00/kg.
Today, he believes €7.00/kg has become the defining benchmark and anything less would be uneconomic in today’s cost environment for farmers.