Farmers can hope to see milk prices improve in early 2017, by which time Ireland will have increased dairy sales into China, Africa, and the Middle East, says Ornua chief executive Kevin Lane.

Ornua’s new butter packing facility in Mitchelstown is in the midst of a storm of protest by a Co Sligo action group trying to save more than 20 jobs at the Aurivo Co-Operative plant in Achonry.

Aurivo Co-operative Society Ltd has been endorsed by Connacht Gold shareholders as the west coast co-op’s new name.

Motorists are asked to be patient this weekend as agri co-op trucks deliver urgently needed hay and other animal feed to farms nationwide.

A restructuring of its core business helped Donegal Creameries return to profit last year.

Health and safety officials were last night trying to establish what may have caused a 12m wall to collapse at a DIY and garden centre in Longford on Tuesday, killing two men and injuring four others.

A health and safety probe is under way after two customers died following a wall collapse at a DIY centre in Co Longford.

A second man has died after a 40ft wall collapsed at a DIY store in Longford town.

One man has died, a second is fighting for life and three others are seriously injured after a 40-foot wall collapsed at a DIY store in Longford Town.

Connacht Gold has acquired the Organic for Us brand from The Different Dairy Company in Donegal for an undisclosed sum.

Connacht Gold chairman Padraig Gibbons has been appointed as chairman of the appeals committee for the controversial 2012 disadvantaged areas scheme (DAS).

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Padraig Gibbons has been re-elected chairman of Connacht Gold, the €400m multi-purpose co-operative.

Connacht Gold has appointed Eoghan Sweeney as general manager of its consumer foods business.

Kieran O’Dowd, Sligo, has been re-elected national chairman of Macra, with Michelle O’Callaghan from Cork and Sean Finan from Roscommon taking up the roles of national secretary and national treasurer.

Connacht Gold’s year-end milk price projections in the “mid-to-high twenties” could lead to some dairy farmers taking a hit of more than 25% in their present incomes.

Connacht Gold has reported that their turnover reached €345m compared to €296m in 2010, a 16% increase in 2011.

Connacht Gold Co-op has introduced a forward-pricing scheme for a small portion of its manufacturing milk — worth around 30c/litre.

Former Connacht Gold executive Helen Brophy has joined her alma mater, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, as director of executive education.

CONNACHT Gold Co-op has boosted its milk pool to 370 million litres by acquiring Donegal Creameries’ milk and retail store businesses for €13.5m, ending months of stop-start negotiations.

Up to 30 jobs are being created by one of the biggest co-ops in the country.

CONNACHT Gold Co-op has reported a 13% rise in turnover and a sharp increase in pre-tax profits.

Westport: Connacht Gold has announced that it will begin the expansion and upgrade of its Westport DIY & Garden Centre in May.

NUTRITION, dietitian and health commentator Paula Mee is to host a free promotional talk on the health benefits of consuming dairy products at the Clarion Hotel, Sligo, from 7pm on Thursday, November 25.

THE turbulent times in farming are set to continue and only the fittest will survive, Connacht Gold chief executive Aaron Forde told about 800 people at a forum on farming hosted by the co-op in Claremorris, Co Mayo.

FARMING in the west depends on properly funded farm schemes, a forum hosted by Connacht Gold was told in Claremorris, Co Mayo, last night.

THE largest campaign of its kind ever undertaken by the Irish food and drinks industry commenced last Monday, supporting the Love Irish Food symbol.

THE Government was warned yesterday that the number of farmers applying for Farm Assist will rocket due to funding cuts in various programmes including the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS).

ONE of the country’s leading dairy co-ops has launched a summer campaign to encourage communities in Connacht to get out and support businesses and employment in their own region.

A €1.75 million loss was recorded by Connacht Gold last year, according to the co-op’s annual report published yesterday.

LAKELAND, Connacht Gold and Arrabawn Co-op cut their August milk prices, but most co-ops left prices unchanged, according to IFA. Northern and western co-ops have cut prices by about 9c per litre this year, while most other co-ops took about 6c off prices.

Connacht Gold is investing €3m in the redevelopment of its landmark store at Deepwater Quay in Sligo. The new store is scheduled to open in February 2009 and will create in the region of 10 new jobs in the town.

A 34-YEAR-OLD dairy and beef producer from near Claremorris, Co Mayo, who has been chosen as Ireland’s Young Farmer of the Year, believes there is a bright future for agriculture.

CO-OPS in Co Cork filled the top six places of the 13 taking part in the 2007 Irish Farmers Journal KPMG Milk Price audit.

A MISSION to use soccer to get more school children to drink milk was launched yesterday.

OPERATING profits at the dairy-to-property and investment group Connacht Gold more than trebled last year.

RESULTS from the better- known diary co-ops in the northeast and northwest over the past week show the sector is in better fettle than it has been for some time.

Ireland West Airport Knock has announced that it has moved to restructure its business in order to position itself for its future strategic development and growth.

NEWMARKET Co-op in north Cork topped the Irish Farmers Journal/KPMG 2006 audit of average milk prices, minus collection charges and levies.

ARRABAWN Co-op has reduced its labour costs by 37.5% in five years period — helping the group to a €2.25 million bottom line turnaround.

FARM leaders have welcomed decisions by Dairygold and Connacht Gold to increase the price they pay farmers for milk.

CONNACHT GOLD MILK plant is to close its doors in January with the loss of 16 jobs.

THE future of milk production and processing in the West of Ireland will be put in jeopardy if Connacht Gold continues to cut the prices they pay suppliers, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has warned.