GROWING ANGER AMONG FARMERS OVER MILK PRICE
DAIRY farmers across the north Cork region are being short-changed in relation to the price they are being paid for milk when compared to colleagues from other parts of the county.
That’s the view of the executive of North and East Cork ICMSA, whose chairperson Julian O’Keeffe said there was a “growing anger” among members over the situation.
The Meelin farmer said their milk processors were paying a price “very much towards the bottom of the league” against a background of “massive” current pressures at farm level.
“Milk prices are poor and well below the costs of production anyway, but the situation faced by suppliers in North Cork is compounded by the fact that they are receiving prices that are worse than they need to be,” said Mr O’Keeffe.
He said the reality for suppliers in North and East Cork was that fellow farmers in West Cork and Boherbue have been getting a price of over or close to 25 cents per litre throughout the peak production period.
Mr O’Keeffe said this was significantly higher than the price paid by the three suppliers in his region – Dairygold, Glanbia and Kerry.
“That price gap during this period represents a very significant loss for the farmers in question. While we acknowledge the fact that Dairygold and Glanbia increased their July milk price, the decision by Kerry not to do so is extremely disappointing and needs to be addressed,” said Mr O’Keeffe.
“Kerry gave a commitment to pay the leading milk price and their supplier’s expect, and are perfectly entitled to expect, that will be delivered”.
Mr O’Keeffe did concede that markets were beginning top recover, due in part to the introduction of the Voluntary Production-Reduction Scheme advocated by the ICMSA.
However, he said that farmers needed to see these returns “immediately” because of the “critical” financial pressures they are currently under.
“Milk prices are going to have to increase across the board and those Co- Ops paying the lowest prices are going to have to move faster and further to catch up with those at the top of the price league,” said Mr O’Keeffe.
He said a gap in milk prices at any stage was a major issue for farmer-suppliers but, when prices are as low as they have been, the impact of such gaps becomes ever greater “and this has to be addressed”.
“North and East Cork farmers have been underpaid and that’s a simple demonstrable fact,” said Mr O’Keeffe.
“What’s also a fact is that the Production-Reduction scheme gives us an option and if the Co- Ops in question don’t start paying what the markets shows they should be paying then their suppliers just won’t produce the milk. It’s that simple”, he warned.