The Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-op (IOMS) has been granted recognition as a producer organisation (PO) by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The move by DAFM will result in IOMS becoming the first dairy producer organisation in the country
There are currently an estimated 70 to 80 dairy farms operating as organic.
Organic milk currently represents around 1% of the total milk pool from Ireland but some producers have repeatedly expressed concerns over the viability of the sector.
Cost inflation and static milk prices have led to growing frustration among producers.
Organic milk
The chair of IOMS, Gavin Lynch, said today (Wednesday, January 24) that it was delighted to receive approval from DAFM with regard to its application to become a producer organisation.
Lynch said: “This is an important step towards addressing the imbalance that exists between producer and processor in the organic dairy sector.
“Organic dairy farmers have been squeezed very hard over the past two years with high costs and the milk price paid to most producers has failed to reflect this fact.
“If something isn’t done now, we will lose huge volumes of organic winter milk and the consumer will be looking at empty shelf space for a good chunk of the year.
“This is no basis for a thriving industry so we look forward to sitting down with the organic milk processors in the spirit of co-operation to find a sustainable and profitable pathway forward for the sector. “
Lynch said that the formal establishment of a producer organisation also presented a great opportunity for the organic milk processors to engage positively with farmers.
“This isn’t all one way traffic. There is a lot that the IOMS producer organisation can bring to the table such as mapping the production of organic milk, guaranteeing minimum supply volumes at certain times and providing a forum for processors to relay their issues and concerns.
“There has to be a recognition that we share a lot of common values and goals with our milk processors and so we are starting out here in the spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation.”
The Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-op (IOMS) was formed last year when a large group of Ireland’s organic dairy farmers came together to address issues which they had identified in the sector.
The organisation claims that it represents the majority of Ireland’s organic dairy farmers.