- IFA to meet Glanbia later today
Following a meeting of the IFA National Dairy Committee last night (Tuesday), IFA President Tim Cullinan said that Glanbia’s proposals to manage peak milk from 2022 are flawed. He said it must be reconsidered in consultation with farmers.
“There was huge frustration at the meeting last night, not just from Glanbia’s suppliers, but from all farmers who are concerned about the precedent set by this decision. For 30 years, the European Union prevented Irish farmers from developing their business. Now, after only seven years, they are blocked again,” he said.
“Nobody doubts but that there is a challenge with processing milk at peak and that the archaic Irish planning system has contributed to the problem, but the proposals from Glanbia to address the problem are flawed,” he said.
“We met Glanbia last week, and we are due to meet them again today. We need serious engagement to take on board the genuine concerns of farmers,” he said.
The Chair of IFA’s National Dairy Committee, Stephen Arthur, said several aspects of the proposal need to change.
“We are now three weeks from the breeding season, and farmers will not be able to adjust their calving pattern. This system will not address the production problem in 2022. It will simply penalise farmers for running an efficient system,” he said.
“Glanbia has been encouraging farmers to expand, and many are now on an expansion pathway and find themselves with huge financial commitments and great uncertainty as to what the future holds,” he said.
“Glanbia has a contract with its farmers, and they are effectively seeking to change this unilaterally. There are aspects of this proposal which cannot be achieved in 2022,” he said.
“The Co-op must listen to and fully engage with their farm families. This decision cannot be taken in isolation,” he said.
