Dairygold suppliers are waiting to hear whether there will be any change to the controversial linking of milk price top-ups to their level of trading with the co-op.

Dairygold’s management and board is continuing to meet with suppliers and their representatives in its six regions this week and their feedback will be considered “with a view to deciding next steps”, a spokesperson for the board said.

One of those meetings took place last Sunday afternoon, 19 January, between Dairygold’s chair Pat Clancy, vice-chair Donal Shinnick and chief executive, Michael Harte, with the organiser of last week’s stridently critical meeting in the Firgrove Hotel, Niall Twomey, and the committee formed at the meeting, which includes Eoin Burke, Tadhg McSweeney, Ned O’Keeffe and Nigel Sweetnam.

That meeting averted a potential demonstration which was being planned by the group outside Dairygold’s headquarters in Mitchelstown on Monday morning.

“The meeting was constructive and helpful in clarifying the society’s position on a range of matters which have been raised in recent weeks,” the spokesperson said.

Chair Pat Clancy has conceded that not enough time was given by Dairygold to debate the changes to its loyalty bonus scheme, which requires suppliers to trade the equivalent of 6c/l with the co-op in order to qualify for milk price top-ups.

“In hindsight, there was a very busy agenda at those [area] meetings, from the milk supplier census to the new Grassroot bonus and reviews of the different businesses over the year.

“In future we will allocate more time to debate changes of this nature at these meetings,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal this week.

“When it became apparent that there were concerns over the change which links potential year-end milk payments to the level of purchases, we made significant efforts to reengage with members.”