Carbery’s additional weather payment issued on March supplies was singled out by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) as being an example to others.

ICMSA dairy chair Noel Murphy welcomed all weather payments by milk purchasers and co-ops, but he particularly singled out the 5c/l, excluding VAT, payment from Carbery.

“These weather-related bonuses are timely and very much needed by the co-ops’ supplier members, given the very long winter and delayed spring.

“There are signs that [the poor weather] just might be ending, but it’s going to inflict costs on farmers for many months to come."

Follow suit

Murphy added that co-ops and milk purchasers who haven’t made such a payment need to follow suit.

“Those extra costs are across the board, but there’s a special pressure on all those who have purchased fodder and [the] ICMSA believes that it is now time for those co-ops or milk purchasers who haven’t paid an appropriate base price and/or bonus for March to step up for the April round of announcements.

“The bills will remain in May and the months ahead. A strong milk price will be required to pay the additional costs and compensate for the reduced volumes,” Murphy said.

The ICMSA’s milk price policy is that all co-op efforts should go to paying the highest possible base milk price.

However, Murphy said when co-ops and milk purchasers saw specific difficulties, they “put their shoulder to the wheel”.