The flow of milk away from United /Dale Farm to co-ops based in the Republic of Ireland seems to have come to an end with the NI farmer-owned co-op confirming to the Irish Farmers Journal that no member has left the business since March 2016.

The last notice handed in was in September 2016, and at present every existing member is in receipt of the 0.3p/l loyalty bonus.

These are changed times, given that since deregulation of the local milk market in 1995 there has been a gradual movement of suppliers away from United/Dale Farm to the likes of Lakeland, Town of Monaghan/LacPatrick and Donegal Creameries (now Aurivo). Even as recently as April 2015, about 30 members left United/Dale Farm.

Reluctance

With Republic of Ireland-based co-ops generally reluctant to take suppliers from each other, and the situation stable at Dale Farm, it means that there is now very little switching of buyers by local dairy farmers (and according to farmers, limited places to go).

One option that came back on the table in November 2016 was for producers to return to Dale Farm, where they would receive the same base price as existing members, but without the 0.3p/l loyalty bonus.