Farmers protest over milk prices

Upwards of 1,000 milk suppliers gathered in Tullamore, Co Offaly, last night to demand that milk processors do not cut the price…

Upwards of 1,000 milk suppliers gathered in Tullamore, Co Offaly, last night to demand that milk processors do not cut the price paid to farmers.

The protest, organised by the Irish Farmers' Association, was described as "The Alamo" for the milk producers by one farmer attending.

IFA president Mr John Dillon said the milk price cuts already imposed or proposed by the country's main dairies would cost the country's 3,000 contracted milk producers over €11m.

He called on the Irish dairies, and on Kerry plc in particular, to abandon price-cutting plans and instead address their own inefficiencies.

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"What we are seeing is a deliberate effort to debase liquid milk, and to raid family farm incomes to finance market wars," Mr Dillon said.

He said this was unacceptable and unjustified in view of the ample margins which existed in the milk chain.

Already Kerry plc has moved to cut the price it pays to its 300 milk producers, claiming that cheap milk from Northern Ireland is undercutting its product on supermarket shelves.