Munster IFA vice-president calls for review of Dairygold grain price

DAIRYGOLD Co-op has been urged by Munster IFA vice president Seán O’Leary to urgently review its grain price.

He said Dairygold customers showed loyalty to the co-op through the purchase of inputs only to find this was not rewarded in grain price.

Mr O’Leary’s comments followed confirmation by the co-op of its final 2009 grain price, in what it acknowledged was a difficult year for cereal production.

It said poor weather had contributed to a difficult harvest with a drop in yields of up to 25% combined with very weak markets, both nationally and internationally.

Dairygold earlier announced harvest end prices of €88/t for feed barley, €95/t for feed wheat, €120/t for malting barley, €88/t for oats on-contract and €82/t for non-contract oats, all plus VAT.

The co-op’s chief executive Jim Woulfe said the 2009-grain market was disappointing for all concerned.

While market prices had seriously dropped in value, the 2009 Dairygold grain price is a full-value price in the current difficult market, he said.

IFA grain committee chairman Colum McDonnell said the Dairygold price was particularly disappointing, given that a base of €90/t at 20% moisture, excluding VAT is being paid for feed barley in Wexford.

Both the Glanbia and Dairygold prices are substantially below those being paid by many of the medium-sized co-ops and private merchants, Mr McDonnell said.