Lakeland takes 3.5p off base price

Lakeland Dairies is the first out in NI with a price for October milk and has cut its base by 3.5p/l, taking it to 32.3p/l. Announcing the price, the co-op referenced “significant market pressure” due to growing global milk supplies. “Demand is struggling to keep up, which is impacting on butter, cheese and powder returns adding continued pressure on farm gate prices,” noted the co-op. Meanwhile, the price paid for butter at the weekly Dutch Dairy Board auction was unchanged at €5100/t. Whole milk powder was down €100 at €3,360/t, while skim was €2,020/t.

Farmers fed up

ADVERTISEMENT

The key issue that has led to the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) passing a vote of no confidence in DAERA, relates to agriculture getting all the blame for water quality issues in NI, the chair of the Stormont Agriculture committee, Robbie Butler has said. Briefing committee members last Thursday following a meeting with UFU president William Irvine and policy officer, Alexander Kinnear, the Lagan Valley MLA, said it shouldn’t be of “any great surprise” that the union raised issues around bovine TB and future farm schemes. “But it appears to them, above all else, that the farming community is being painted as the sole villain in the ongoing issue relating to phosphorus and unwanted nutrients in waterways,” Butler told members.

However, he added the union representatives did make clear there is positive work done by DAERA, including the response by Minister Muir to proposed changes to inheritance tax and the fact high level officials are made available for ongoing quarterly meetings with the UFU.

“They [Irvine and Kinnear] were at pains to point those out as well,” said Butler.

Farmers invited to sheep scab events

Dr Stewart Burgess from the Moredun Research Institute will be the keynote speaker at a series of information events on sheep scab in the coming weeks.

Organised by various local farm organisations, along with Animal Health and Welfare NI and CAFRE, ‘Sheep Scab: Breaking the Cycle’ aims to improve awareness, share the latest research and consider how best to control the disease. In his talk, Burgess will outline recent advances in scab diagnosis and treatment options, while a CAFRE adviser will discuss best practice for safe dipping of sheep.

The events take place on 18 November at CAFRE Loughry Campus and Wednesday 19 November CAFRE Greenmount Campus. The third event is an online webinar, taking place on 26 November. All three meetings start at 7.30pm, are free to attend and prebooking is not required.

NI Agri Live events postponed

Question-Time style events organised by the Irish Farmers Journal and Ulster Farmers’ Union and due to take place in Omagh on the 19 November and Antrim on 27 November, have been postponed.