The Milk Wise 2025 report, published by the IFA last week as a strategy for the liquid milk sector, has been criticised by Strathroy Dairies’ Ruari Cunningham.

“This ‘strategy’ contains a number of serious and misleading assertions about the Irish milk market. We have been in contact with the IFA, via our legal representatives, to correct the false assertions that they have published recklessly,” Cunningham said in a statement on Monday.

He said that statements in the report suggesting that a quarter of the Republic of Ireland’s liquid milk market is sourced from NI was “utterly misleading”.

“The percentage of the RoI fresh milk market that is produced and processed in the North would be less than 5%,” he said.

Figures

According to Cunningham, figures in the Milk Wise 2025 report that 75% of fresh milk for the Irish retail sector is sourced in the south came from the National Milk Agency and should be challenged by the IFA.

“We at Strathroy have given assurances to a number of our customers that the products supplied to them use only milk sourced in RoI. The statements … cannot be left unchallenged. It is quite simply wrong and the IFA needs to clarify,” he said.

Also questioned by Cunningham was how the IFA defines Irish produce by not including NI. He pointed to ICOS, which incorporates NI into the definition of Irish dairy products.

Brexit

“ICOS have their eye on the ball, and are looking towards marketing Irish dairy produce post-Brexit,” he maintained.

Cunningham described Brexit as a “catastrophic move” and called on the IFA and other organisations to show leadership and provide accurate information to farmers.

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