This is a subscriber-only article
ICMSA president John Comer has endorsed Monday’s decision from the EU of a support package for dairy farmers, especially the €150m voluntary supply reduction scheme.
Comer has said if the scheme is “structured correctly”, it has the potential to provide a boost for the fluctuating industry.
The scheme has the potential, but it is important that the scheme is finalised quickly and that farmers know where they stand well in advance of the 1 October start date.
Welcome
In advance of the announcement, ICMSA said it had been lobbying the Government on milk supply production controls, despite facing opposition from several dairy processors.
Comer says the programme is the perfect opportunity for putting Irish farmers back into a profitable situation and providing them with the option to reduce production, if they wished, while also giving them better milk prices overall.
A new deal
The Irish Farmers Journal reported earlier this week that the Commission had unveiled a new €500m package for farmers, and that Ireland would be receiving just over €11m of this amount.
SHARING OPTIONS: