Dairy industry pushes for higher milk returns
A delegation from ICOS, the Irish Dairy Board and the IFA met with the Commission Director of Livestock Products and senior milk division officials in Brussels this week.
The meeting was a follow-up to discussions in November between EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler, Minister Joe Walsh and Irish dairy industry representatives.
This week’s meeting focused on Irish dairy industry proposals, which it says will allow EU milk product prices to rise at least 5% above the intervention level.
According to ICOS, the umbrella body for the country’s co-ops, there was a constructive and detailed discussion on the current market situation, export market demand and the need to ensure EU exports remain competitive.
IFA dairy committee chairman Michael Murphy said he made it clear market management by the EU Commission has an important impact on farmgate prices.
“I also told the Commission Irish dairy farmers urgently need market management measures which will allow Irish milk prices to recover to 28c per litre and more in 2003,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael has described a drop of nearly 17% in dairy exports last year as extremely worrying.
The party’s agriculture and food spokesperson Billy Timmins, TD, said Bord Bias annual review showing that agri-food exports increased by 1.7% on 2001 to 6.8bn in 2002 was very welcome.
Deputy Timmins said the failure of Minister Joe Walsh to solve the impasse on the dairy-herd certificate scheme can only have a negative impact in this most competitive area.
He called on the minister to solve this difficulty and to fully implement the national beef assurance scheme.
