The historic battle to increase price of milk

A well-organised and determined campaign, set against the background of a presidential election, helped farmers secure a fairer price for their milk 50 years ago, writes Ray Ryan

Global dairy prices have tumbled, forcing farmers in Ireland and across the European Union to sell milk for below production cost.

The dairy industry is subject to cyclical volatility due to a variety of issues including the weather, sluggish markets and geo-politics. But the current slump is lasting longer than expected and is causing a lot of grief to producers and processors.