ICMSA welcome 5cpl Carbery ‘weather-related’ payment as “stressed and exhausted” farmers face months of bills

 Commenting on the round of March milk price announcements, ICMSA Dairy Chairperson, Noel Murphy, has welcomed the weather-related payments made by milk purchasers and Co-operatives and he particularly singled out the 5cpl payment from Carbery.

“These weather-related bonuses are timely and very much needed by the Co-ops’ supplier members given the very long Winter and delayed Spring. There are signs that just might be ending but it’s going to inflict costs on farmers for many months to come.   Those extra costs are ‘across-the-board’ but there’s a special pressure on all those who have purchased fodder and ICMSA believes that it is now time for those Co-ops or milk purchasers who haven’t paid an appropriate base price and/or bonus for March to step up for the April round of announcements.   The bills will remain in May and the months ahead and a strong milk price will be required to pay the additional costs and compensate for the reduced volumes”, said Mr. Murphy.  

Concluding, Mr. Murphy said that that it was a long-standing principle of ICMSA milk price policy that all Co-op efforts should go to paying the highest possible base milk price, but it equally must be acknowledged when Co-ops and milk purchasers saw specific difficulties and ‘put their shoulder to the wheel’ to help out stressed and exhausted farmer-suppliers. Carbery, noted Mr. Murphy, were to be congratulated for doing just that and setting the example that all should be following.

Ends        24 April 2024

Noel Murphy, 087-3815575

Chairperson, ICMSA Dairy Committee

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office