ICMSA warning to farmer directors

A DAIRY farmers' leader has reminded co-op board members they are elected by farmers, and told them to look within their own operations to see where savings can be made, rather than cut milk prices.

Limerick ICMSA chairman Gerard Quain said milk producers are unhappy to see their colleagues on boards on the side of the processor rather than the farmer, when it came to setting a milk price.

With the first of the phased cuts in EU support for milk price due in July, and warnings from processors that the milk price paid to farmers will come under pressure if dairy product markets deteriorate, Mr Quain told a Limerick ICMSA meeting that farmers will not accept being last in line for any increase, and the first to suffer any cut in prices.