Two of the country’s leaders in the dairy sector have offered conflicting views on the Bord Bia Quality Assurance (QA) scheme.

Co-ops have been pressing to get farmers QA-compliant. From 2018, it will be compulsory for all dairy farmers to be signed up to the QA scheme. At present, over 90% of farmers are signed up to it.

Speaking exclusively to the Irish Farmers Journal this week, Ornua CEO Kevin Lane said it is in the best interests of dairy farmers and the sector to become QA.

“I honestly believe we have absolutely no choice but to get 100% compliance. It’s a no-brainer. I can understand people holding out but that is not the way forward and these folks have to be brought forward,” Lane said.

Differing approaches

Co-ops have differing approaches with regard to getting their suppliers over the line, with some offering a milk bonus, others cutting milk price for non-compliance and others just working one-to-one with farmers. Lane believes the penalty and bonus methods should be used.

“I think we should do both; it’s not not an option to be 100% compliant. [Co-ops] should make the decision whether it is the carrot or the stick, or a combination of both,” he added.

However, ICMSA president John Comer, speaking at the association’s AGM on Monday, described QA schemes as “expensive marketing waffle”.

“We were told that these schemes were required to get into value-added markets, but, as usual, the farmers did the work while the others got the dividend,” he added.

Read more

'We have an onus to give farmers clean ball' - Kevin Lane