Move to cut casein aid under fire

ICOS, the co-ops’ national umbrella body, strongly criticised a decision by the European Commission to cut casein aid by 42% at yesterday’s milk management meeting in Brussels.

Donal Cashman, president, said it is essential that Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan urgently raises the concerns of the Irish dairy sector with Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

He said ICOS had written to the minister and the Commission officials in the past three weeks outlining the reasons why EU export competitiveness needed to be strengthened and casein aid should not be reduced.