Stephen Cadogan: Ornua first to the rescue as crisis deepens on dairy farms

Ornua brought badly needed respite for dairy farmers this week, with their suspension of a milk levy from May 1 adding nearly €6 million to dairy farm incomes in 2016, helping farmers get through the unprecedented global milk price slump.

Foregoing this money which it uses to promote its Kerrygold brand in over 110 countries, the former Irish Dairy Board has shown the way forward for the government and industry to help everyone through the slump.

A combined effort is now urgent, with EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan saying the Commission has deployed all of the instruments available to it to help the EU’s struggling dairy and pig farmers.