A delegation of the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) will participate in a protest organised by the European Milk Board (EMB) in Brussels next week to demand a “fair income” for farmers.
The planned protest will take place on Monday, May 27, under the slogan “A fairer income for farmers now” and coincide with a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.
The EMB, which lobbies for milk producers in Europe, said the protest is a “call for specific solutions” that will allow food production to move away from a “loss-making activity” for farmers and evolve into a “fair and profitable” sector.
ICMSA
The ICMSA is the Irish constituent of the EMB, the continent-wide umbrella association of EU specialist dairy farmer organisations. The protest will also take place in the run-up to World Milk Day 2024 on Saturday, June 1.
ICMSA president, Denis Drennan said the association will join its European colleagues and demand that the EU and member states “realise and act on” what he described as a “historic threat” to farmer incomes and EU food security.
“There must be a change in attitudes towards farming and indigenous food production that allows farmers and farm families to make a viable income without having to surrender and exit the sector.
“The elections on June 7 are the chance for farmers to express their wishes and we urge them to exercise that choice in their own interests. In the meantime, ICMSA will fly the flag for Irish farming in Brussels next Monday,” Drennan said.