Grain growers hit out at co-ops
They say farmers dealing with the Dairygold and Glanbia co-ops have done worse than those trading grain farm-to–farm, and sourcing inputs from independent merchants.
During last week’s protests at feed mills in Cos Laois and Wexford, IFA national grain chairman Colum McDonnell called on Glanbia to pass back some benefits to farmers of their buying power in the farm inputs market, and the significant value added to grain through its compound feed milling.
Mr McDonnell said the low Glanbia grain price threatens the viability of Irish grain growers, who lost up to €50 per tonne produced this year.
He said Glanbia is the largest buyer, but its €85/t for spring feed barley was the country’s lowest price.
He accused Glanbia of also hitting farmers with hefty credit charges.
Meanwhile, IFA Cork Central grain chairman Dan Joe O’Sullivan said the enormous buying power of Dairygold and Glanbia gives them significant advantages over competitors, but this was not reflected in their grain prices, nor the prices farmers pay them for inputs. North Cork IFA grain chairman Bernard Vaughan said Dairygold’s barley price is the second lowest in the country,€3 ahead of Glanbia’s price. Dairygold Co-op’s final 2009 grain prices are €88 for feed barley, €95 for feed wheat, €120 for malting barley, €88 for oats on contract, €82 for non contract oats, all exclusive of VAT.
