Calls for an extraordinary general meeting, a total overhaul of the representative structure and an ousting of management were among the calls made at a second meeting convened for Dairygold suppliers in Mitchelstown in less than a month.
Over 200 people attended the meeting on Wednesday night, where farmers congratulated the recently-formed committee for getting Dairygold to scrap its link between trading levels and milk price.
The committee members present - Niall Twomey, Eoin Bourke, Nigel Sweetnam and Ned O’Keeffe - outlined their meeting with Dairygold CEO Michael Harte, co-op chair Pat Clancy and vice-chair Donal Shinnick 10 days previously.
Niall Twomey, Eoin Bourke, Nigel Sweetnam and Ned O'Keeffe at the top table at the Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown, Co Cork on Wednesday 29 January 2025.
Eoin Bourke described the meeting as a “good robust meeting with no holds barred”.
He accused the co-op board of “hoodwinking” the co-op’s committee on the introduction of the controversial – and since abandoned – trading requirement to achieve a 6c/l loyalty bonus payment.
Bourke compared staffing levels between Arrabawn and Dairygold, claiming that Arrabawn had a staffing ratio of 0.65 staff to 1m litres of milk, compared with Dairygold’s one to 1m ratio. The source of the ratios quoted was not clear.
He also compared Dairygold with Tirlán, pointing out that Tirlán had made 100 staff redundant last year and a further 50 this year.
“If Dairygold’s milk pool is contracting, why is it not rationalising?” he asked.
Voting rights
A farmer from the floor, referred to as Dan on the night, called for a change to the representative structure within Dairygold. He said all A1 shareholders should be allowed to directly elect, by postal vote, representatives to four rotating seats on the board, for a three-year term.
“Management is only as good as the board behind it,” he said, before claiming that Dairygold area meetings were run “like a mafia”.
Bourke agreed with the speaker, saying that two layers of committees made the board “literally untouchable”. “They have no responsibility to you,” he said, addressing the crowd. “They are not answerable to ye, that has to change.”
The crowd applaud a speaker at the second meeting for Dairygold suppliers at the Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown, Co Cork.
Differences
Some differences in position appeared between the committee members on whether farmers should give their notice to quit supplying milk to Dairygold, with Nigel Sweetnam advising against the move proposed by Niall Twomey.
“Handing in your notice, it’s not the right thing to do,” Sweetnam said. “The costs get spread on those that stay. We should be asking why new entrants are not coming to Dairygold.”
Interfering
Ned O’Keeffe said the branch structure of Dairygold had collapsed and criticised the co-op for “accusing us of interfering” – adding “we are shareholders”.
He said the Dairygold product mix was wrong, the co-op had too many sites and was top heavy with management and staff.
Mike Martin, speaking from the floor, urged those present to “take a chainsaw to the co-op” by way of management changes, later adding: “go for the jugular” to a round of applause.
Another speaker from the floor, who did not identify himself, called for “a big clear out of management”. “How we do it, I don’t know,” he said.
The meeting on Dairygold on Wednesday night was the second in less than a month.
Eamon English from Oola, a dual milk supplier to Dairygold and Tipperary Co-op, urged Dairygold suppliers to “vote with your feet” on buying inputs.
Extraordinary general meeting
Kevin O’Connor, a prominent speaker at the first meeting on 13 January, proposed that those present should call an extraordinary general meeting in order to change the voting rules within the co-op.
Bourke, responding to O’Connor, warned that getting 300 signatures and an EGM over the line would be difficult to achieve. However, by the end of the meeting, the consensus was that farmers would reconvene two weeks before the annual general meeting (AGM) in April to bring proposals forward on the next steps to take.
“We won’t be pushed around. If we have to take back our co-op by force we will do it,” said Bourke.
Niall Twomey, organiser of both meetings, criticised the co-op’s contribution of €700,000 to the National Dairy Council for the marketing of dairy products.
“Cut out that aul nonsense,” he said, calling again for an external audit of Dairygold’s business.
Similar to the first meeting, the crowd had a higher proportion of younger people attending than many farmer meetings. Attendees paid €5 each on entry, to cover the hotel costs.
Read more
Dairygold to drop controversial trading link to milk price
Dairygold rules requires significant trading from committee members
Calls for an extraordinary general meeting, a total overhaul of the representative structure and an ousting of management were among the calls made at a second meeting convened for Dairygold suppliers in Mitchelstown in less than a month.
Over 200 people attended the meeting on Wednesday night, where farmers congratulated the recently-formed committee for getting Dairygold to scrap its link between trading levels and milk price.
The committee members present - Niall Twomey, Eoin Bourke, Nigel Sweetnam and Ned O’Keeffe - outlined their meeting with Dairygold CEO Michael Harte, co-op chair Pat Clancy and vice-chair Donal Shinnick 10 days previously.
Niall Twomey, Eoin Bourke, Nigel Sweetnam and Ned O'Keeffe at the top table at the Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown, Co Cork on Wednesday 29 January 2025.
Eoin Bourke described the meeting as a “good robust meeting with no holds barred”.
He accused the co-op board of “hoodwinking” the co-op’s committee on the introduction of the controversial – and since abandoned – trading requirement to achieve a 6c/l loyalty bonus payment.
Bourke compared staffing levels between Arrabawn and Dairygold, claiming that Arrabawn had a staffing ratio of 0.65 staff to 1m litres of milk, compared with Dairygold’s one to 1m ratio. The source of the ratios quoted was not clear.
He also compared Dairygold with Tirlán, pointing out that Tirlán had made 100 staff redundant last year and a further 50 this year.
“If Dairygold’s milk pool is contracting, why is it not rationalising?” he asked.
Voting rights
A farmer from the floor, referred to as Dan on the night, called for a change to the representative structure within Dairygold. He said all A1 shareholders should be allowed to directly elect, by postal vote, representatives to four rotating seats on the board, for a three-year term.
“Management is only as good as the board behind it,” he said, before claiming that Dairygold area meetings were run “like a mafia”.
Bourke agreed with the speaker, saying that two layers of committees made the board “literally untouchable”. “They have no responsibility to you,” he said, addressing the crowd. “They are not answerable to ye, that has to change.”
The crowd applaud a speaker at the second meeting for Dairygold suppliers at the Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown, Co Cork.
Differences
Some differences in position appeared between the committee members on whether farmers should give their notice to quit supplying milk to Dairygold, with Nigel Sweetnam advising against the move proposed by Niall Twomey.
“Handing in your notice, it’s not the right thing to do,” Sweetnam said. “The costs get spread on those that stay. We should be asking why new entrants are not coming to Dairygold.”
Interfering
Ned O’Keeffe said the branch structure of Dairygold had collapsed and criticised the co-op for “accusing us of interfering” – adding “we are shareholders”.
He said the Dairygold product mix was wrong, the co-op had too many sites and was top heavy with management and staff.
Mike Martin, speaking from the floor, urged those present to “take a chainsaw to the co-op” by way of management changes, later adding: “go for the jugular” to a round of applause.
Another speaker from the floor, who did not identify himself, called for “a big clear out of management”. “How we do it, I don’t know,” he said.
The meeting on Dairygold on Wednesday night was the second in less than a month.
Eamon English from Oola, a dual milk supplier to Dairygold and Tipperary Co-op, urged Dairygold suppliers to “vote with your feet” on buying inputs.
Extraordinary general meeting
Kevin O’Connor, a prominent speaker at the first meeting on 13 January, proposed that those present should call an extraordinary general meeting in order to change the voting rules within the co-op.
Bourke, responding to O’Connor, warned that getting 300 signatures and an EGM over the line would be difficult to achieve. However, by the end of the meeting, the consensus was that farmers would reconvene two weeks before the annual general meeting (AGM) in April to bring proposals forward on the next steps to take.
“We won’t be pushed around. If we have to take back our co-op by force we will do it,” said Bourke.
Niall Twomey, organiser of both meetings, criticised the co-op’s contribution of €700,000 to the National Dairy Council for the marketing of dairy products.
“Cut out that aul nonsense,” he said, calling again for an external audit of Dairygold’s business.
Similar to the first meeting, the crowd had a higher proportion of younger people attending than many farmer meetings. Attendees paid €5 each on entry, to cover the hotel costs.
Read more
Dairygold to drop controversial trading link to milk price
Dairygold rules requires significant trading from committee members
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: