Be more competitive, co-ops urged

THE country’s co-ops must become the most competitive purchasing groups relative to other input suppliers if they wish to hold on to their members’ custom, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association has warned.

Farm Services and Environment Committee chairperson Conor Creedon said generally speaking farmer members of co-ops would prefer to get their inputs, such as meal, fertiliser, medicines and the like, from their own co-ops, as they feel they are supporting their own business.

However, farmers in certain areas are beginning to get disillusioned with their own co-ops because of the massive price differences with other suppliers. Some have deliberately been moving their business away from their co-op stores in an effort to show how much power they still hold.