Farmers seeking a fair base milk price
THE chairperson of Wicklow ICMSA has again criticised what he said was the ‘undermining effects’ of discretionary bonuses or payments on Base Milk Price.
Aughrim farmer Shane O’Loughlin said that the association was ‘unhappy and suspicious’ of the practice that saw co-ops paying a Base Milk Price that was below that of the Ornua PPI which was then ‘ topped up’ by a cent or two on grounds of ‘ hardship’ or ‘ loyalty’.
Mr O’Loughlin said that ICM- SA rejected the idea that paying any element of a proper, mar- ket-derived milk price could be ‘discretionary’ and he insisted that farmers wanted to be paid a proper price for their milk because that was what it was worth and not ‘at the whim’ of the processor who they were supplying.
‘We do not accept the idea that re-calibrating a minimum Base Milk Price and dividing it into elements that are market-derived and discretionary stands up to any scrutiny at all. This month’s milk price announcements are a case-in-point. The Ornua PPI translated across to 32.1 c/L and remember that this is the price already achieved, why then do we have milk processors announcing a Base Milk Price below the PPI and then announcing a bonus as if they were doing their suppliers a favour?,’ he said.
Mr O’Loughlin said that suppliers don’t want or like the impression that they are standing in front of their Co-op ‘cap-in-hand’ waiting for the proper market payment ‘at the whim of the processor’.
‘What they want – and what they’re entitled to – is at least the same price-per-litre that the processor was paid for their products,’ he said.
CATTLE SALE AUGUST 22: Trade similar to last week. Lighter stores in further demand.
Bullocks: CH 32M 625kg, €1,230; LM 15M - 480kg, €1,090; LM 13M - 440kg, €1,030; SHX 34M - 555kg, €910; AA 13M 465kg, €870; CH 12M - 375kg, €770; CH 13M - 365kg, €770.
Heifers: LM 15M – 465kg, €1,000; LM 15M – 460kg, €1,000; LM 16M – 435kg, €850; LM 14M – 400kg, €810; CH 13M – 395kg, €790; CH 13M – 390kg, €785; CH 13M – 390kg, €785.
SHEEP SALE AUGUST 25: Store lambs up to €2-€4/head pushed by farmer demand. Heavier lambs similar to last week.
HDS 10 – 35.5kg, €105; HDS 15 – 48.7kg, €104; HDS 14 – 50.4kg, €103; HDS 12 – 51.9kg, €102; HDS 12 – 38.3kg, €102; HDS 16 – 35kg, €99.
SHEEP SALES REPORT– TUESDAY AUGUST 21: A total of 2,247 sheep on offer. Very lively trade for all types of cast sheep. Steady trade for breeding ewes/hoggets with fat and store lambs remaining similar to last week.
Butcher Lambs-€103 to €108 or €55 to €63 over €/ kg; Factory Lambs-€90 to €104 or €48 to €59 over €/ kg; Store Lambs-€64 to €90 or €32 to €46 over €/kg; Fat Ewes-€105 to €126 per head; Feeding Ewes-€65 to €100 per head; Suffolk x Breeding Hoggets-€140 to €180 per head; Suffolk x 3&4 y/o Ewes-€115 to €135 per head; Suffolk x Ewe Lambs-€100 to €140 or €60 to €92 over €/kg.
CATTLE SALES REPORT– THURSDAY AUGUST 23: A total of 314 cattle on offer. Similar trade to last week for all classes, with small plain store cattle still hard to sell.
Beef & Forward Store Bullocks-€610 to €930 over €/kg; Store Bullocks over 500kgs€500 to €880 over €/kg; Store Bullocks over 400kgs-€410 to €655 over €/kg; Store Bullocks over 300kgs-€280 to €420 over €/kg; Store Heifers over 400kgs-€400 to €600 over €/ kg; Store Heifers over 300Kgs€260 to €380 over €/kg; Beef and Butcher Heifers-€520 to €810 over €/kg; Fat Cows-€260 to €660 over €/kg; Feeding Cows-€/kg to €240 over €/kg; Cows with calves at foot-€1,260 to €1,660 per unit
Calves: Fr Bulls-€85 to €160 per head; HE/AA Bulls-€125 to €270 per head HE/AA Heifers-€80 to €180 per head Continental Bulls-€180 to €330 per head; Continental Heifers-€140 to €260 per head.