Glanbia’s processing capacity issue, brought on by a legal challenge to a cheese manufacturing plant facility on the Kilkenny-Waterford border, should be dealt with “on a voluntary basis” with farmers, it has been argued.
Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said today (Friday, April 2) that both Glanbia and the government “have a responsibility” to milk suppliers who will be impacted by the processor’s peak milk supply control measure.
Speaking after a meeting of the IFA National Dairy Committee, Cullinan argued: “A core principle of Glanbia’s Milk Supply Agreement is that all the farmer’s milk will be purchased at the price set by the Glanbia Ireland Board.
“Saying that a proportion of milk will not be purchased, or will be purchased at a penalised price, due to no fault of the farmer, is not consistent with the Milk Supply Agreement.”
He insisted that the issue should be dealt with through “full co-operation” with farmers.
“In this regard, the proposals around the voluntary retirement scheme and the voluntary milk reduction scheme should be expanded and funded by Glanbia Ireland to try and address the problem,” the IFA president said.
Meanwhile, IFA national dairy chairperson Stephen Arthur commented: “While farmers are rightly raging with An Taisce [the environmental lobby group that is challenging the cheese facility] and frustrated with the planning process, it’s wrong that individual farmers are the ones forced to carry the can.
“To expect farmers to adjust their calving patterns at such short notice is unrealistic. We acknowledge the efforts Glanbia have made to address the concerns of farmers by making changes to their proposals. However, they must go further.
The IFA also confirmed that Glanbia sought a meeting with the association in November to discuss the judicial review taken by An Taisce into the planning process.
Addressing this issue, Arthur labeled An Taisce’s case “spurious”.
“The government must change our planning process to tighten up the basis on which planning objections can be made, and to limit the number of appeal avenues open to people. The current system is doing untold damage,” he argued.