Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe at Moorepark 2019 open day. \ Donal O'Leary
ADVERTISEMENT
Dairygold chief executive Jim Woulfe has called on the European Commission to use its full range of dairy market supports to help farmers and dairy co-ops get through the unfolding crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Woulfe said dairy markets are in a very difficult place right now following the collapse of the €600bn foodservice market in Europe as well as sharp falls in the price of milk powder.
“The agri-food industry been deemed an essential service by the Government. So how do you support an essential service? There are mechanisms there. The COVID-19 pandemic is not an Irish problem. It’s a global issue. And it’s at moments like this that the benefits of EU membership must come through,” said Woulfe.
ADVERTISEMENT
“No dairy processor could have catered for this. The full toolkit of market supports available in Brussels should be used right now,” he added.
McDonald's
Last week, McDonald’s and many other branded restaurant chains closed their doors in a bid to halt the spread of the virus and protect their staff. The shuttering of the foodservice industry has sent shockwaves across the European food industry.
The shutdown of McDonald’s caused Schreiber Foods, one of the largest cheese companies in the world, to temporarily close down its plant in Germany. Schreiber’s plant in southern Germany supplies McDonald’s with large volumes of processed cheese and is a customer of a number of Irish co-ops.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
Dairygold chief executive Jim Woulfe has called on the European Commission to use its full range of dairy market supports to help farmers and dairy co-ops get through the unfolding crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Woulfe said dairy markets are in a very difficult place right now following the collapse of the €600bn foodservice market in Europe as well as sharp falls in the price of milk powder.
“The agri-food industry been deemed an essential service by the Government. So how do you support an essential service? There are mechanisms there. The COVID-19 pandemic is not an Irish problem. It’s a global issue. And it’s at moments like this that the benefits of EU membership must come through,” said Woulfe.
“No dairy processor could have catered for this. The full toolkit of market supports available in Brussels should be used right now,” he added.
McDonald's
Last week, McDonald’s and many other branded restaurant chains closed their doors in a bid to halt the spread of the virus and protect their staff. The shuttering of the foodservice industry has sent shockwaves across the European food industry.
The shutdown of McDonald’s caused Schreiber Foods, one of the largest cheese companies in the world, to temporarily close down its plant in Germany. Schreiber’s plant in southern Germany supplies McDonald’s with large volumes of processed cheese and is a customer of a number of Irish co-ops.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS