Glanbia has issued a deadline of today (Thursday) for oat growers to sign contracts for the coming year. It follows from grower resistance to changes in the contracts, the most contentious of which is a proposal to pay the bonus on 80% of contracted tonnage only.

IFA say that a significant proportion of growers have not signed contracts as of yet. Grain chairman Liam Dunne described the contract change as “an effective 20% cut in the bonus”.

IFA met with Glanbia to discuss these issues before Christmas but there was no progress on the main issues.