Three-hundred liquid milk producers met in Portlaoise this week amid concerns that many processors have not agreed a liquid milk price for the winter. The farmers were members of the half-dozen liquid producer groups which negotiate directly on price with their dairies and the meeting was called by IFA liquid milk chair Teddy Cashman.

He warned that, with volumes and constituents high, payments for October have been good.

“A lot of processors are making huge play of the October cheques. However, by next January, constituents will be lower and costs far higher,” he said.

IFA dairy secretary Catherine Lascurettes said that the liquid prices were now approaching the levels of 2009 and far below the 40c/l needed to give farmers a sustainable return.

She warned that lower January constituents would cost producers a further 6c/l from current price.

The meeting heard that Kerry Group has given its 100 liquid suppliers a commitment to pay a 15c/l liquid milk premium for the four months from November to February. Kerry supplies the milk – approximately 30m litres – to Glanbia on a contract which has one more winter to run after this one.

FMP suppliers complained that Glanbia Co-op had subsidised 2015 milk and that the group further cut September base price, reducing the value of its liquid milk premium.

The meeting discussed a range of options to strengthen producers’ hands in negotiations.

These included feed boycotts, protesting at dairies and holding or even dumping milk.

As a start, the IFA is getting all 1,800 liquid milk producers to sign a petition putting dairies on notice that they need a viable winter price.