IFA dairy head sets 2006 targets
Mr Kennedy, who runs a dairy farm in Clarina, Co Limerick with his son James, said the next few years will be challenging for dairy farmers, but he intends to do his level best to defend their livelihoods.
Mr Kennedy, a former president of Macra na Feirme and a former chairman of Limerick IFA, said it will come as no surprise that his top priority is milk price.
“The price paid for their milk is what determines dairy farmers’ incomes, and over the last four years, we have lost an average of €9,000, or 36% of our income,” he said.
Mr Kennedy called on the Irish Dairy Board and processing co-ops to reverse their normal milk pricing logic.
They must stop paying ‘what is left’ after they’ve covered costs, and instead adopt the IFA’s 26c per litre minimum target and co-operate to cut costs, duplication, and add more value to milk.
Mr Kennedy said there is also need to improve the availability of milk quota for committed producers.
Mr Kennedy said a critical issue for dairy farmers will be how the nitrates action plan is implemented.
A pragmatic approach is needed by those in Government departments in charge of drawing up guidelines and implementation plans.
Mr Kennedy said it is vital to dairy farmers’ income that milk testing by co-ops be subject to the fullest Department of Agriculture scrutiny, to include protein as well as butterfat testing.
