ICMSA stresses importance of flexible milk supply to lift prices

THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association has claimed the European Commission accepts that milk prices will not recover in the short term.

Jackie Cahill, president, said a senior commission official confirmed to the ICMSA in Brussels that emergency legislation will have to be used to support dairy markets later this year. He said Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel’s chef de cabinet, Dr Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, described the dairy sector being in its worst crisis ever.

Mr Cahill said he told the commission that while he broadly shared its assessment of the bleak market outlook, the actions and policy it had implemented to date will not solve the income crisis being faced by dairy farmers.