Glanbia has announced a May milk price lift of 1.9c/l to 35.3c/l plus Vat; earlier Kerry Co-op had lifted their May milk price 2.86c/l to 36.26c/l plus VAT.

The IFA has given a guarded welcome to the election of Aurivo Co-op chief executive Aaron Forde as the incoming chairman of the Irish Dairy Board, following the resignation of Vincent Buckley.

IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey has welcomed Kerry Group’s decision to pay farmers 38 cent per litre for all milk supplied in May.

Food manufacturers have criticised a new code which bans television and radio advertising of foods with high fat, salt, and sugar content during children’s programmes.

Dairygold’s modular expansion plan is ideally constructed to allow the co-op to react to any shortfall in anticipated global demand for milk, said IFA’s Kevin Kiersey.

An Bord Pleanála has granted permission for Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd’s (GIIL) proposed milk powder development at the IDA site at Belview, Co Kilkenny.

Dairygold farmers should engage with the co-op’s one-to-one milk supply contracts sessions, while the board should revisit any option to share additional processing with Glanbia, said IFA dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

Up to 1,200 of Dairygold’s 3,000 farmers say they will not sign the co-op’s new milk supply agreement, one group opposed to the new contract says.

Food giant Dairygold has dropped a controversial penalty clause from its new milk supply contract.

Milk industry and farmer groups have voiced strong support for Glanbia’s joint venture proposal, which would give Glanbia Co-op shareholders majority ownership of future milk processing.

Members of Glanbia Co-op are debating the pros and cons of a joint venture proposal which could see them acquire a 60% stake in Dairy Ingredients Ireland, the Glanbia group’s Irish dairy processing business.

Banks need to see beyond Irish dairy’s €16m superlevy fine and the sector’s weather-induced profit hits, and invest in the expansion plans of Irish dairy farmers, says one leading milk sector analyst.

Farmers are bitterly disappointed with Irish dairy co-ops who have failed to increase their August milk price to suppliers despite upward trends at global auctions, says the IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

Dairy co-ops have come under renewed pressure to increase the price per litre offered to farmers, following further price buoyancy in European and global dairy auctions.

Farmer organisations have reacted positively to the proposal by Glanbia Co-op to invest in a major milk processing joint venture.

The IFA has welcomed Glanbia’s decision to add 1c to the price per litre being paid to suppliers, effectively lifting its August milk price to 28.09c/l plus Vat.

Dairy co-ops should already be factoring in a rise in the price they pay their milk suppliers on foot of a lift in overseas markets, says IFA dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

Bad weather, price cuts, and fodder shortages have all combined to shatter confidence among the farming community, according to the IFA.

Slowing milk production in the northern half of the world has led to the second highest price rise in 14 months in the GlobalDairyTrade auction conducted by Fonterra of New Zealand.

The IFA has criticised as “deeply flawed” proposals by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to restrict the advertising of cheese to children along similar lines to confectionery.

Dairy farmers are retaining some hope of a profitable 2012 following this week’s decision by Glanbia to hold its June milk price at 28.5c per litre, including Vat.

Irish dairy co-ops have come under renewed pressure to reinstate their March milk prices as stable trading at yesterday’s latest global dairy trade auction followed a series of upward markets.

Glanbia and the Co Cork dairy co-ops have come under intense pressure from farmers to support milk prices.

Dairy farmers are facing into a lossmaking 2012 due to Glanbia’s decision to shave 2.5c per litre off its May milk price, warns ICMSA deputy president and dairy chairman Pat McCormack.

Dairy farmers are contacting regional co-ops today to urge them to retain current milk prices on foot of a huge upturn in price at yesterday’s Fonterra dairy auction.

Dairy co-ops will undermine farmers’ profitability and confidence if they over-react to global market cuts in the milk price, warns IFA national dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has described as “wrongheaded” the decision by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland not to exempt cheese but to “persist” with classifying it as less healthy for children than diet cola.

IFA national dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey has called on banks to stick with dairy farmer clients who may experience cash-flow difficulties this year as a result of a superlevy bill.

The Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal should be reviewed to avoid crippling superlevy fines being imposed on dairy farmers whose herds have been restricted for lengthy periods due to animal disease problems, according to the IFA.

Expanding Irish dairy output by 50% for the 2015 post-quota era will require €1.5bn in on-farm investment, making it impossible for farmers to fund new processing costs, according to the IFA.

Superlevy fines estimated at up to €10m are looking likely for Ireland, despite Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands also struggling to stay within their milk quotas.

A top global agri-banker predicts that continued strong growth in world demand will absorb additional supply of EU dairy products after milk quotas are fully lifted in 2015.

Teagasc and dairy co-ops should offer tailored advice to protect cattle’s long-term health, while reducing production over the next month, said IFA dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.

Industry predictions of soaring future consumption of dairy products in Asia and India are not being matched by demand in more easily accessible and lucrative European markets, according to analysts.

Dairy farmers expect their co-ops to remain cautiously optimistic about milk prices for 2012, based upon the latest Rabobank Global Dairy Outlook.

Dairy farmers want Glanbia to retain its current milk price until at least the end of March, according to IFA national dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.

The weakness of the euro has delivered a timely boost to Irish dairy exports, ensuring that co-ops are in a position to hold current milk prices, according to one industry expert.

IRISH milk producers are continuing to pull back production in order to avoid superlevy next March, said IFA National Dairy Committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

CO-OPS can afford to hold their present milk price despite a weakening in overseas markets, according to IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

DAIRY farmers should consider strengthening the link between milk supplies and shareholding, according to Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.