Dairygold CEO Michael Harte has said that the meeting organised by suppliers in Firgrove on Monday night, which he did not attend, was “disappointing” and “wasn’t balanced”.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday, Harte acknowledged the issues farmers raised in relation to milk price and the recently announced loyalty bonus scheme.

“We will take on board the comments that were made and the demands that were there. If people want to meet us to discuss it, we will meet them,” he said. “At the end of the day, the loyalty scheme is there to reward people who regularly trade with Dairygold. It’s not about minimising milk price or anything like that.

“Our number one goal every day inside this organisation is to maximise the milk price and minimise the inputs [prices] to members,” he added.

“At this moment in time, 2024 [price] is not finalised. We’ll sit down and look at the overall financial position through the month of January and make a decision in relation to overall milk price position.”