IFA makes milk marketing plea
He said products only recently launched by some of the main dairies are frequently unavailable for supermarkets to put on their shelves. This was a matter of serious concern as the flavoured and fortified milk end of the market was enjoying double-digit growth.
Mr Bray called on dairies to stop talking down milk prices, and urged them to show their full commitment to the proper marketing of these high-margin products.
“All liquid milk dairies have implemented extremely severe price cuts in the last year, which have cost individual producers at least €4,500. Liquid milk producers, just like all other dairy farmers, have fallen victim to the cost/price squeeze over the last few years, with rising production costs and falling prices.
“They simply cannot afford to take any further price reductions. In this context, I am very disappointed that our dairies are failing to capitalise on the best growth area in liquid milk, the flavoured and fortified milk drinks,” he said.
Mr Bray said the IFA Liquid Milk Committee has been calling on the industry to add more value to milk, so that it might be in a better position to pay suppliers viable prices.
Mr Bray urged dairies to commit to the best possible distribution of these products, including through inter-dairies’ agreements, to maximise the benefits to the sector, and to improve the outlook for producer milk prices.
