Co-ops ‘must prevent income drop’

WITH intervention for butter and skim milk powder almost eliminated by the Fischler reform, the challenge for co-ops is to prevent an income drop that would be catastrophic for farmers, the IFA said yesterday.

Dairy committee chairman Michael Murphy said in a decoupled situation, co-ops must ensure the quota is filled. They must minimise the extent of intervention price cuts being passed back to farmers in coming years.

“To ensure that, after the Fischler Reform, our industry can compete after the Fischler reforms, co-ops must ensure our quota is filled and the position of milk producers strengthened by paying viable milk prices above intervention equivalent levels,” he said.