Glanbia forced to review milk price
Co-op board to meet again as furious suppliers demand 2c/l rise
Glanbia has been forced to reconvene its co-op board members this Thursday to reassess the co-op's September milk price as furious suppliers demand a minimum 2c/l increase.
Glanbia Co-op chairman Liam Herlihy faced criticism from angry farmers at a meeting of Glanbia suppliers in Fermoy on Thursday night.
Mr Herlihy refused to speculate on any possible September price change, but he added that Glanbia group managing director John Moloney was quite prepared to make a "positive presentation".
More than 140 dairy and grain farmers at the meeting demanded that the co-op increase its milk price by at least 2c/l for September and increase its grain price by €13/t.
Farmer after farmer slammed the co-op board for ignoring the hardship they were experiencing.
One farmer accused Glanbia group managing director John Moloney of knowing that the Irish Dairy Board (IDB) price increase was imminent and of deliberately setting the September milk price early to avoid paying extra to farmers.
However, Mr Herlihy insisted that the co-op board had set its September milk price before the major lift in prices.
"The Glanbia cheques were in the post before other co-ops announced increased prices," he told the meeting.
But he admitted that Glanbia would have to reassess the scheduling of its board meetings, looking particularly at whether the board meeting should be before IDB meetings.
To the fury of farmers present, he added that re-scheduling board meetings could delay payment to farmers.
Other farmers expressed concern that the co-op board could not foresee the upward movement in dairy prices.
"If we didn't have such a weak board, they would go in and do the job once and not have to come back twice," insisted one farmer.
"The guys who are representing us are doing nothing and we need to get rid of them," said another.
Several farmers insisted that they did not believe that Ballyragget and Virginia could be loss-making, as Glanbia claimed.
"Absolutely no one in this room trusts Glanbia. They've broken and impoverished our co-op. I know when I'm being walked on," a farmer said.
Mr Herlihy insisted that he did not want his farmers disenfranchised from the co-op, and if they distrusted the co-op to such an extent then it would have to be addressed.
IFA dairy vice-chairman Kevin Kiersey accused Glanbia of selling the merger between Avonmore and Waterford on the basis that it would give them the leading milk price in the country.
"For the past seven or eight years that promise has been reneged on," he said.
Several farmers suggested spilling milk in protest at Glanbia's treatment of its suppliers.
"Dump the milk and let them swim in it for three weeks," raged one woman.
- Caitriona Murphy
Irish Independent
