DEAR SIR: As a Glanbia supplier with a large proportion of my milk locked into fixed price schemes, I write to you today with anger and frustration regarding the “fixed price support scheme” offered by Glanbia in recent weeks.

The scheme title suggests it is a support scheme, but upon closer observation, it is clear that it is far from such.

The scheme requires the farmer to commit the volume of milk that qualifies for the support – to be fixed again in 2023 and 2024, so in essence it is a “fixed price extension scheme” masked as a support scheme, at a time when farmers in these contracts want to be out of them.

‘Not enough’

Following on from Lakeland’s benchmark setting top up of 8c/l on all fixed milk through to the end of this year, Glanbia’s board and management need to follow suit.

The input support payment of 3c/l simply isn’t enough considering the cost of producing a litre of milk is now close to 40c/l.