Dairy Ireland, which represents dairy discussion groups across the country, continues its call on all Irish co-ops to adopt a new milk pricing system.
In its latest monthly newsletter out today it calls for a A+B–C milk payment system, where A is the price per kg of milk protein, B is price per kg of milk fat and C a processing cost deduction.
According to Dairy Ireland chairman David Murphy: “Dairy Ireland believes that the A+B–C milk pricing is a fair and transparent system that rewards farmers for the quality and value of the milk constituents they produce. We call on all Irish co-ops that have not already done so, to adopt the A+B-C system before the 31st of December of this year.”
Dairy Ireland is also asking farmers to pay closer attention to the value of the milk constituents they produce rather than the reported cent per litre value of milk.
It said a recent analysis of Irish milk payments found that even though there was only a 7 per cent difference in the top and bottom payer of milk price in cent per litre terms, there was a 15 per cent spread in the value Irish co-ops were paying for protein and a 30 per cent difference in the fat constituent price.
In its latest monthly newsletter Dairy Ireland also outlines how the industry derives value from the protein constituent in milk.
The farming body also calls again on all co-ops to publish strategy documents for their shareholders.
For more information read the Dairy Ireland newsletter September.