Pat Murphy, chief executive of Kerry Dairy Ireland, has said that he sees merit in the co-op announcing its future milk price at the beginning of the year to give certainty to farmers on market returns. The co-op boss admitted that he is unsure how such a move from the current system, which retrospectively sets milk prices in the month after supplies were delivered, could operate.

“I am not sure how we can change that over the next number of years but certainly, what I think we should do is look at a way of announcing milk price at the start of the year for the following year so that farmers can have a very good idea of what they can expect to achieve from their milk going into the co-op every month,” Murphy said.

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