UFU seeks clarity on A5 road plan

The UFU is seeking clarity from the Department of Infrastructure about the plan for upgrading the A5 road from New Buildings to Aughnacloy. Minister John O’Dowd recently told the NI Assembly that he was recommending that the planned upgrade should proceed.

The UFU has written to the Sinn Féin MLA to ask if “statutory processes and environmental assessments” need to be conducted before construction commences. The union has also asked for clarity on the vesting process for farmland that will be needed for the new road.

“Landowners need a detailed plan for the route, the timeline of what the next steps will be and the impact on farm families to help plan the future of their business,” said UFU deputy president, John McLenaghan.

GDT edges up at latest auction

The first New Zealand Global Dairy Trade (GDT) event in August saw the overall index price edge up by 0.5%.

Cheddar was up 1.3% to an average price of US$4,275/t, with whole milk powder up 2.4% to average US$3,259/t.

Butter fell 2.4% to US$6,489/t, with skim milk powder down 2.7% to average US$2,539/t.

DDB auction

However, the Dutch Dairy Board (DDB) auction on Wednesday created a much more positive outlook for European butter, with prices up €250 to €7,070/t.

It is the highest butter price since September 2022.

The other significant mover on price was whole milk powder, which was up €100 to €3,960/t.