According to bookmakers, there is only one chance in four that the UK will vote today in favour of leaving the EU (in other words, you can get a 300% return by betting on Brexit).

Today, May 26

A plea for all sectors of the economy to unite in supporting farming through “a perfect storm” has been made by the managing director of a leading agri-business.

The challenge to generate enough cash in the business over the next few months was outlined for dairy farmers this week, as the global dairy markets slump continued.

His three-day sit-in at Dairygold Co-op’s boardroom may have landed him in the High Court, but dairy farmer Ned McCarthy remains adamant: “I’m definitely not going to give up on getting my money.”

Talk of milk supply control returning in the EU didn’t boost the GlobalDairyTrade commodity auction on Tuesday, with a 2.9% slump to a seven-month low, defying signals from futures markets which had predicted a positive outcome.

Pre-tax profits at Dairygold Co-op fell to €16.85m in the year to Dec 2012, down from €22.32m a year ago.

Giving members more time in which to increase their shareholding in line with their output would alleviate one core issue with Dairygold Co-op’s contentious new Milk Supply Agreement (MSA), says one milk supplier.

Non-expanding milk suppliers will not contribute to the deferred (“13th”) payment mechanism that Dairygold is introducing from May, 2015.

Innovative in its own right, the National Dairy Innovation Award at next Saturday’s National Dairy Show has attracted some of the top new products in the dairy sector.

Nine dairy farms have been short-listed as finalists for the 2012 National Dairy Council & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards. The nine are:

Dairygold Co-op milk suppliers are being asked to provide a rolling four-year forecast of their milk volumes, commencing next Marsh.

Ireland still has a problem with high SCC milk, but it is only in recent years that it is being taken seriously by all concerned with the dairy industry.

Dairygold Co-op has reported pre-tax profits of €22.3m for 2011, up by about 20% on its 2010 profit of €18.2m.

Members of Dairygold Co-op contributing to the capital costs of dairy expansion can expect to enter some form of tax-friendly deferred loyalty bonus scheme.

It’s quota decision time for dairy farmers. Ricky Hosford of Ceres Consulting outlines their options

Well done to Dairygold Co-op vice-chairman James Lynch and his family for representing EU farmers so well, when they hosted Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping during his visit to Ireland.

IT is great to see Dairygold Co-op doing well again, with operating profits up near €20m.

THE board of directors of Dairygold Co-op elected Bertie O’Leary as chairman and James Lynch as vice-chairman last week (see pictures on page 10).

FARMERS have never been as positive or optimistic about their future in the industry, delegates at the opening of Macra na Feirme’s annual conference were told at Little Island, Co Cork, last night.

THE Irish Dairy Board (IDB) will consider marketing collaborations with a number of overseas representative dairy bodies at private meetings scheduled during next month’s global milk conference in New Zealand, says its chief executive Kevin Lane.

THERE has been frightening stagnation in the milk quota restricted dairy industry, according to Irish Examiner Farming Forum panellist John Murphy.

THE important economic role farmers play in providing food and services to society has been highlighted by Copa-Cogeca, which represents European farmers and agri co-ops.

THE man who has been on hunger strike for a week over redundancy terms has vowed to continue his protest through Christmas.

DAIRYGOLD Co-op is to increase the price it pays its suppliers for September milk by 1.75c/litre.

SOME 150 jobs have been lost with the closure of seven 4-Home DIY and homeware stores countrywide in recent months.

THE Competition Authority announced yesterday it had appealed a High Court decision relating to Kerry Group’s takeover of the Breeo Foods consumer brands.

A CRISIS meeting between dairy farmers and Dairygold took place last night where farmers pleaded with the dairy giant to reverse milk price cuts which made dairying uneconomic.

THE European Commission has rejected calls led by France, Germany and eastern Europe to revise plans to phase out milk quotas. “I am not going to reopen the agreement,” said Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel at this week’s meeting of EU farm ministers in Brussels.

DAIRYGOLD Co-op is preparing for a future without milk quotas, it disclosed yesterday when Agriculture Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith visited its dairy processing facilities in Mitchelstown, Co Cork.