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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FARM groups have told Glanbia that the punishment does not fit the crime for suppliers who fail to comply with limits set under its new seasonality scheme.

DAIRY farmers will have to prioritise their resources for on-farm investment to fund the estimated €1bn cost of expanding the dairy sector, according to IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

SUGGESTIONS that milk quota may have residual value after 2015 are “pure, unsubstantiated speculation”, said IFA dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey this week, as he warned the price of quota will rise very substantially in co-ops where the supply-demand balance is tightest.

DAIRY farmers will keep an eye on short-term milk price caution expressed by giant Dutch co-op FrieslandCampina, but they will not be unduly worried by it, according to IFA dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.

HUNDREDS of young farmers face being forced out of dairy farming due to superlevy fines, which may yet cost Ireland tens of millions of euro nationally.

THE first IFA regional dairy meeting took place in Kilkenny last night, where speakers addressed future markets for the extra Irish milk to be produced after 2015, and the need to adjust on-farm and processing expansion plans with market demand.

WITH two days to go to the end of the 2010/11 milk quota year, IFA National Dairy Committee chairman Kevin Kiersey urged all over quota dairy farmers and all co-ops to work closely together in coming days to avoid the “wasteful cost of superlevy for this year”.

FARMERS have responded positively to Glanbia’s decision to revise its index-linked milk price scheme to ensure greater flexibility in reacting to future input cost inflation.

THE IFA claims Glanbia and Kerry undershot the 3c/l milk price increase it feels was due for February.

DAIRY groups have welcomed yesterday’s move by the Glanbia board to increase its January milk price by 1.44c/l to 29.94c/l (+VAT).

ACTIVE dairy farmers need to increase their share of co-op ownership from its current 30% level, plus invest in new on-farm facilities if the sector is to achieve its ambitious expansion plans, said IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

EUROPEAN Union draft regulations on milk published yesterday do little to protect farmers against unfair retail pricing and future market fluctuations, say Ireland’s main dairy farmer groups.

INTERNATIONAL dairy prices are showing clear signs of stabilising, despite concerns over increased global milk supplies, according to IFA national dairy committee chairman Kevin Kiersey.

MILK suppliers are bitterly disappointed with the failure by the board of Glanbia to increase their September milk price, according to IFA dairy chairman Kevin Kiersey.

DAIRY farmers are demanding a price increase of 1 cent per litre to bring their returns in line with their European neighbours, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

THE €300 million emergency milk fund introduced by the European Union to assist struggling dairy farmers should be maintained for 2011, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.

THE Irish Farmers Association yesterday accused some of the country’s main co-ops of a failure to lift their June milk price to 30c/l plus VAT.