The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has voiced fears that Glanbia’s peak milk supply control measure will result in “anomalies” for individuals farmers.

Following meetings this week between representatives from the farm organisation and officials from the processor, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that concern among milk suppliers “was growing day by day”.

He called for Glanbia to issue to each individual supplier notification of where they will stand under the proposed programme from 2022.

It is profoundly disappointing that the industry that is driving most economic activity in rural areas finds itself in a position where farmers are being asked to effectively cut production in the peak grass growing period.

“We constantly hear politicians highlighting the decline in rural Ireland and the need for action. We have here an industry that’s ready to step up, but is being stopped for reasons external to the business itself. This is very concerning and is being effectively ignored by our rural politicians,” McCormack added.

The ICMSA president said that the organisation’s representatives “made it very clear” that anomalies would arise among the proposed measure.

He also noted that the Glanbia officials gave a commitment to take the association’s concerns back to the board of the processor to consider possible solutions to these anomalies.

These include the impact on farmers expanding above the permitted levels; the workings of the reserve pool; and the impact on farmers supplying milk above the average Glanbia supply curve, who would be facing considerable fines even if they increase by a very small amount.

“The delay in building processing facilities is going to impact every townland in the Glanbia region and it is crucial that Glanbia reviews its position in light of the concerns expressed by its suppliers,” McCormack concluded.