Kerrygold reaches landmark €1 billion of retail sales – ICMSA say farmers not seeing proportionate return

 

Today’s announcement by Ornua that their flagship Kerrygold brand has reached €1 billion sales globally is positive news for the Irish dairy sector and clear recognition of the strong and justified reputation of Irish dairy farmers and their grass-based system of production, according to the President of ICMSA, Pat McCormack.

Mr. McCormack said that Irish dairy farmers have invested heavily on their farms over recent years and this has clearly contributed to the growth in the sales of the Kerrygold brand with dairy farmers delivering milk of the highest quality and making a substantial contribution to the wider Irish economy in the process.  He said that the announcement is a very welcome development, but he went on to say that the growth in dairy sales, and the recognition of Irish milk quality that those sales were based on, had to start delivering a stronger and more sustainable price for Irish dairy farmers.

The ICMSA President said that milk price paid to Irish farmers has been effectively static for many years and has not kept pace with the cost of inputs. He said that the ongoing investment made by farmer-suppliers in in livestock, facilities and sustainable farm practices needed to deliver a premium for Irish dairy farmers who were, he stressed, the basis for the whole multi-billion Euro sector.

“We are producing a premium product and it’s high time that we started receiving a premium price on a consistent basis that reflects the fact that this whole sector is built on our work, our skill and our milk. The price we receive needs to reflect that and dairy farmers will judge their processor and marketing bodies on this basis”, concluded Mr. McCormack.

Ends     30 April 2019.

Pat McCormack, 087-7608958

President, ICMSA

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office

 

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