Dairy farmers earning less than the minimum wage, claims Walshe

THE country’s dairy farmers are working for less than the average minimum wage of €8.65 per hour, Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe told a milk price meeting in Kilkenny last night.

He cited two examples at present day milk prices — a producer of 50,000 gallons earns the equivalent of €5.82 per hour, and a large-scale producer with 90,000 gallons only earns €6.55 per hour.

“Any further cut in milk prices would wipe out the farmer’s wages, not to mention interest payments and bank charges.