East Cork farmers against plc retail plans

FARMERS in east Cork have rejected Glanbia Agribusiness plans to revamp their branch network, and have demanded the group stick to a 2005 commitment to retain retail branches at Castlelyons, Glenville and Tallow, and to equip them fully with services for farmers.

Glanbia Co-op shareholders’ representative Oliver Manley, who lives within 2½ miles of the Glenville branch, said farmers don’t want to end up depending on delivery trucks for feed and fertiliser. He said the east Cork and west Waterford catchment area, centred around Castlelyons, supplies about 27 million gallons of milk annually to Glanbia, and it has an unusually high proportion of relatively young farmers. There are 40 farmers aged under 45 within four miles of Glenville, according to Mr Manley.

Farmers fear that without investment, branches will be run down and closed.