A member of the National Dairy Committee of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has stepped down from the committee.
AgriLand understands that the Louth representative on the committee, Nicholas Cooney, announced his resignation earlier this week.
The IFA has not made any official statement on the matter.
New role for Thomas Ryan
In an unrelated development, it was announced last week that Thomas Ryan, the association’s environment and rural affairs executive, would be taking up a new role with Glanbia Ingredients Ireland in June.
Ryan will continue to work closely with the association’s National Environment Committee, and its chairperson Paul O’Brien, before he departs.
Milk price
In other news related to the IFA National Dairy Committee, its chairperson, Tom Phelan, said this week that dairy farmers are “being asked to pay too much too soon”, after three of the country’s largest processors cut milk prices.
Phelan said: “Covid-19 has impacted on every aspect of the global economy. The dairy sector is no exception, and faces severe economic challenges.
However, we believe dairy farmers are being asked to pay too much of the price too soon.
Phelan said that the IFA’s National Dairy Committee had been lobbying for processors to maintain prices, based on market research showing an “extremely positive” outlook for dairy markets before the full onset of Covid-19.
“Spot quotes then suggested a milk price equivalent of around 34c/L, and co-ops would have sold forward at least some of the spring milk into that market as normal,” he pointed out.
The IFA national dairy chairperson said that March had been “a long and challenging month” in terms of weather and costs.