Free milk to retailers ‘should cease’

GLANBIA declined to comment yesterday on criticisms by the IFA and ICMSA that it is trying to increase its share of the liquid milk market by giving away supplies to certain retailers.

ICMSA president Jackie Cahill said that the campaign was short-sighted and not in the interests of either consumers or dairy farmers and called on the co-op to cease the tactic immediately.

He said Glanbia is offering very substantial incentives to retailers to switch over. A deal where retailers receive one week’s free supply of milk in every eight weeks had been noted, in addition to other incentives.