Milk Price- Please read Mod note in post #1

Buford T. Justice XIX

Lakeland hold milk price from Journal dairy tweet.

mahoney_j

Dawggone wrote: »

In fairness Mahoney not everybody is obviously in hippy-hoppy-Lala-dairy-land!

You should try tillage...

Question. Is your OH a CS?

Question. Do you have any (free) family labour?


If the answer to any or both of the above is yes...then good on ya!







Don't get me wrong here Mahoney, I predicted this, here on boards.ie, three years ago...there will be casualties. Sadly.


I'm so gung-ho my health suffers...

To answer both questions no ,look I'm as pissed as the rest of ye re milk price but I've expanded with A plan and not on a whim .and I try see positives rather than negatives

mahoney_j

cute geoge wrote: »

With the price of milk on the floor most plans have evaporated , now lads have to slog on to hopefully see a turnaround

Head down arse up and work through it .remain positive and avoid attitudes that drag u down .

Dawggone

mahoney_j wrote: »

To answer both questions no

Hmmm.

mahoney_j

Dawggone wrote: »

Hmmm.

Nope ,mam helped out this year to appease my dad who is ill .that won't be happening again due to his illness
Wife works in local pharmacy ,currently on parental leave ,which I was quite happy for her to take

kevthegaff

Great points dawg, bottom line, laying hen subsidising family and even farm which I'd imagine is very common this year. F..k I'm a realist, future doesn't look bright imo heap of powder, grain, uncertainty in demand/brexit. My lady is stay at home mum, so I'm only earner with fair repayments. Lot of 1 1/2 year replacements so sold all calves inc fr heifers, sold jeep, sold feeder wagons to generate cash in february, I think these short term decisions have helped bigtime but may have repercussions longterm. Bought an old cheep pig of a 160 hp tractor to do all slurry etc(high ground) as contractor bill is too high. Honestly think we need to start thinking outside of the box then have family labour/laying hen subbing a failing enterprise. Was considering putting in a new 20 unit but that has been put on the back burner to see how things develop. Starting to wonder is dairy farming a crippler on our bodies/bank accounts.

cute geoge

mahoney_j wrote: »

Nope ,mam helped out this year to appease my dad who is ill .that won't be happening again due to his illness
Wife works in local pharmacy ,currently on parental leave ,which I was quite happy for her to take

Fair dues to you but from reading here i would say you are a1 top drawer operator
.It is the lads who are not at the top of there game that are in trouble as an old teacher of mine used quote
you either ''aspire to receive distinction or perspire to escape extinction''

orm0nd

mahoney_j wrote: »

Ffs no wonder so many have left this place ,I'm nearly getting depressed just after reading those last few posts yer talking of lads moaning ,whinging bla bla bla re milk price and trading accounts .thankfully I ain't mixing with the same people

ppl left 'cos they thought every body should be ars% lickers and agree 100% with their way of thinking, not saying the wern;t top class farmers, but feck it MJ you have to play the hand you are dealt, & if you can't see to other ways of thinking then tought sh1t , the same crap & willy waving is going on else where now mainly with the same clan,

re your post no good sweeping the dust under the carpet,

mahoney_j

cute geoge wrote: »

Fair dues to you but from reading here i would say you are a1 top drawer operator
.It is the lads who are not at the top of there game that are in trouble as an old teacher of mine used quote
you either ''aspire to receive distinction or perspire to escape extinction''

No better ,no worse than any of rest of yer here I just try do things right and keep things simple .ive no control of things outside of my farm gate so no point stressing about them

mahoney_j

orm0nd wrote: »

ppl left 'cos they thought every body should be ars% lickers and agree 100% with their way of thinking, not saying the wern;t top class farmers, but feck it MJ you have to play the hand you are dealt, & if you can't see to other ways of thinking then tought sh1t , the same crap & willy waving is going on else where now mainly with the same clan,

re your post no good sweeping the dust under the carpet,

Agreed

RightTurnClyde

kevthegaff wrote: »

Great points dawg, bottom line, laying hen subsidising family and even farm which I'd imagine is very common this year. F..k I'm a realist, future doesn't look bright imo heap of powder, grain, uncertainty in demand/brexit. My lady is stay at home mum, so I'm only earner with fair repayments. Lot of 1 1/2 year replacements so sold all calves inc fr heifers, sold jeep, sold feeder wagons to generate cash in february, I think these short term decisions have helped bigtime but may have repercussions longterm. Bought an old pig of a 160 hp tractor to do all slurry etc(high ground) as contractor bill is too high.

By Fcuk, you're grabbed the bull by the horns. Fair play Kev.
Early decisive bold moves like that is what will keep a show on the road.

pedigree 6

whelan2 wrote: »

Let us know how it goes if you go? Thanks

Just back god help us all.:(
There were two board members sitting at the table for the meeting.
Basically one was reading from a sheet saying how things were so good at glanbia and that the coop is going to make 30m profit this year and the plc is going to make I think 245m profit this year and the other fella was agreeing.
When challenged on why this year they can't scrap the 30m and use it to help farmers with their milk cheques. He said we can't do that it would only mean 2 cent a litre increase in price so not worth it. Plus investors would sell off the shares and dividends would fall. We have to have the 30m to invest in the company. What he didn't mention was that the 30m is profit in the coop and not in the plc which has publically traded shares. The only shares traded in the coop is between farmers.

Then the one with the sheet said that according to the kpmg that glanbia are the second highest paying processor in the country to which 5 lads immediately said he was wrong.
He said if you take the fat and protein that some lads are producing and fixed milk price schemes that it is right.
Then someone told him if you include them we are fifth in the league to which he replied that all the cork coops are included as one.
An ifa man told them that according to milk markets atm that they should be paying 28 cents to which he replied that a lot of product was forward sold at low prices. Then the other guy with no sheet said that the market was only delivering the 19 cent without vat. Then a former wexford creamery negotiator put it to this fellow to name out their product mix and what market value they are returning. The pair of them said we're not going to do that here. To which the wexford guy said you don't know the breakdown and how you're arriving at 19 cent.

Then they told everyone how they feel their pain and to avail what they call GAP payment (loan) and that we are very lucky to have a strong glanbia and that it is delivering a positive share price and dividends to all farmers.

Then it was brought up how at the splitting up vote at gowran that jim bergin promised to pay the leading milk price in the country and that farmers were taking back control of the coop. The one with the sheet said it was never said that they were going to pay a leading milk price and that it is not down in the minutes of the meeting.
Then someone said that the event was filmed up in gowran by glanbia and everyone in the room tonight heard it said. So basically his body language was prove it.

Now I went into this with an open mind and never met the two farmer board members before. But leaving the meeting i'm wondering what is the point of farmer board members. Surely the 60,000 wages would be better spent else where. They don't represent farmers anymore just believing everything they are told and collecting the cheque and shares on the way out the door of glanbia headquarters. Maybe I was a bit naïve but I didn't think it was that bad.
They are going into a meeting on milk price on Wednesday and I can't help but feel it's lambs going into the slaughter or maybe they're all wolves.

I know we're not supposed to moan here but i'm dejected.:(

kowtow

mahoney_j wrote:

Ffs no wonder so many have left this place ,I'm nearly getting depressed just after reading those last few posts yer talking of lads moaning ,whinging bla bla bla re milk price and trading accounts .thankfully I ain't mixing with the same people

The mood around me seems to be more relief from those who haven't overdone expansion...they may feel they have dodged a bullet.. combined with a bit of black humour and grim determination. There is a focus on the true cost of production (the details) now that I didn't detect before. I suspect that rather than blind hope that everything will bounce back high there's a lot of people working out what 26 or 27 might look like averaged over a cycle.

I would say these are all good signs.
I get the feeling that farming / grass wise a good few people are now encouraged by the visible benefits of improvements they made over the last few seasons.

But little of the irrational exuberance of a year ago.

Farmer Ed

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Just back god help us all.:(
There were two board members sitting at the table for the meeting.
Basically one was reading from a sheet saying how things were so good at glanbia and that the coop is going to make 30m profit this year and the plc is going to make I think 245m profit this year and the other fella was agreeing.
When challenged on why this year they can't scrap the 30m and use it to help farmers with their milk cheques. He said we can't do that it would only mean 2 cent a litre increase in price so not worth it. Plus investors would sell off the shares and dividends would fall. We have to have the 30m to invest in the company. What he didn't mention was that the 30m is profit in the coop and not in the plc which has publically traded shares. The only shares traded in the coop is between farmers.

Then the one with the sheet said that according to the kpmg that glanbia are the second highest paying processor in the country to which 5 lads immediately said he was wrong.
He said if you take the fat and protein that some lads are producing and fixed milk price schemes that it is right.
Then someone told him if you include them we are fifth in the league to which he replied that all the cork coops are included as one.
An ifa man told them that according to milk markets atm that they should be paying 28 cents to which he replied that a lot of product was forward sold at low prices. Then the other guy with no sheet said that the market was only delivering the 19 cent without vat. Then a former wexford creamery negotiator put it to this fellow to name out their product mix and what market value they are returning. The pair of them said we're not going to do that here. To which the wexford guy said you don't know the breakdown and how you're arriving at 19 cent.

Then they told everyone how they feel their pain and to avail what they call GAP payment (loan) and that we are very lucky to have a strong glanbia and that it is delivering a positive share price and dividends to all farmers.

Then it was brought up how at the splitting up vote at gowran that jim bergin promised to pay the leading milk price in the country and that farmers were taking back control of the coop. The one with the sheet said it was never said that they were going to pay a leading milk price and that it is not down in the minutes of the meeting.
Then someone said that the event was filmed up in gowran by glanbia and everyone in the room tonight heard it said. So basically his body language was prove it.

Now I went into this with an open mind and never met the two farmer board members before. But leaving the meeting i'm wondering what is the point of farmer board members. Surely the 60,000 wages would be better spent else where. They don't represent farmers anymore just believing everything they are told and collecting the cheque and shares on the way out the door of glanbia headquarters. Maybe I was a bit naïve but I didn't think it was that bad.
They are going into a meeting on milk price on Wednesday and I can't help but feel it's lambs going into the slaughter or maybe they're all wolves.

I know we're not supposed to moan here but i'm dejected.:(

Sorry Ped but it is hard to put up with that crap as soon and you begin to understand what is going on. I've got in to a lot of trouble here by making simular points about their other large neighbor down the road. Now before anyone starts accusing me of being negative or wearing a tin foil hat. I actually don't think it nessacerily needs to be hopeless. But IMO farmer's need to take back control. This repeated point of us not having any control about what happens outside the farm gate is not necessarily true. We own those businesses and instead of tipping our hats to Creamery managers, many of whom have little or no qualification in business, we need to constantly remind them that they work for us and they should consider themselves very fortunate.

How to start to address it? First of all icos and a few more of the Managments power structures need to have their wings clipped. A very good starting point would be to look at the new set of co op rules as drawn up by the group of Wexford farmers who moved to strathroy. Unlike the other Co Ops who are still largely governed by the principles of the 1893 isp act the Wexford farmers are governed by a set of rules designed for the 21century. We need to realise that the world today is a much different place and the structure of a co op with thousands of members is a much much different animal to anything ever envisaged in 1893. Gone are the days when the co op could be always be fully trusted to put farmers interests first.

I wonder did the founders of co op movement ever envisage a situation where a pension fund for co op managment could actually be worth more than the co op itself? We really need to take back control. Instead of our politicians becoming poster boys and wannabe film stars in co op promotional videos. They need to wake up fast to the reality that the current system that allows stuff like you witnessed last night to take place, is simply well broken and needs to be urgently fixed.

visatorro

I don't know how anyone deals with farmers. I hate them. If they're not displaying a constant air of doom, they are trying bully you out of your own farm!
The depressing lads are obviously never happy but the lads who would cross you for an acre of land are never content either.
40 cent or 20 cent it's always been the same I think anyway. You'd wonder would a good ride and a few pints sort out fellas for a little while anyway.

mahoney_j

visatorro wrote: »

I don't know how anyone deals with farmers. I hate them. If they're not displaying a constant air of doom, they are trying bully you out of your own farm!
The depressing lads are obviously never happy but the lads who would cross you for an acre of land are never content either.
40 cent or 20 cent it's always been the same I think anyway. You'd wonder would a good ride and a few pints sort out fellas for a little while anyway.

Sure then we'd only be wondering if she has a bit of land that we could milk more cows off to make a few more quid .......

kowtow

mahoney_j wrote:

Head down arse up and work through it.

I hope to God you are talking about the dairying and not the part time evening job we all have to get......

whelan2

Farmer Ed wrote: »

Sorry Ped but it is hard to put up with that crap as soon and you begin to understand what is going on. I've got in to a lot of trouble here by making simular points about their other large neighbor down the road. Now before anyone starts accusing me of being negative or wearing a tin foil hat. I actually don't think it nessacerily needs to be hopeless. But IMO farmer's need to take back control. This repeated point of us not having any control about what happens outside the farm gate is not necessarily true. We own those businesses and instead of tipping our hats to Creamery managers, many of whom have little or no qualification in business, we need to constantly remind them that they work for us and they should consider themselves very fortunate.

How to start to address it? First of all icos and a few more of the Managments power structures need to have their wings clipped. A very good starting point would be to look at the new set of co op rules as drawn up by the group of Wexford farmers who moved to strathroy. Unlike the other Co Ops who are still largely governed by the principles of the 1893 isp act the Wexford farmers are governed by a set of rules designed for the 21century. We need to realise that the world today is a much different place and the structure of a co op with thousands of members is a much much different animal to anything ever envisaged in 1893. Gone are the days when the co op could be always be fully trusted to put farmers interests first.

I wonder did the founders of co op movement ever envisage a situation where a pension fund for co op managment could actually be worth more than the co op itself? We really need to take back control. Instead of our politicians becoming poster boys and wannabe film stars in co op promotional videos. They need to wake up fast to the reality that the current system that allows stuff like you witnessed last night to take place, is simply well broken and needs to be urgently fixed.

Not sure if things have moved on from the 1800's , sure we are the peasant farmers being thrown the crumbs if we are lucky and everyone else in Glanbia are royalty. I would also like to know how much they are getting for the uht milk to China. Our milk used to be collected every day for a week once a month. Since February we have been collected everyday, they obviously got a better contract for it

jaymla627

The much vaunted advanced payment scheme terms and conditions letter arrived this morning, must say well done to talbot/Bergin on the t and c's they'll basically end up swiping a heap of co-op shares from lads who sign up to this scheme and avoid having to do another spin - out , some of the wording and clauses in it are extremely alarming they really are taking things to a whole other level

atlantic mist

Great post ped, I can feel it frustration going to those meetings. Jim told us in Waterford that they would pay leading price and that he had to show a profit of a cent a litre...not the two they are now talking about. He changed his tune at last meeting saying the only thing he promised was to take our milk and process it, never heard him mention that before. How do we get the minutes of a meeting it was a Glanbia rep taking the minutes?? Theyforward sold stock that's why they knew price would drop to low 20s back s few months ago and could have been more transparent to supplies instead of announcing price once a month which is nuts and the biggest affect on suppliers cash flow.

OverRide

jaymla627 wrote: »

The much vaunted advanced payment scheme terms and conditions letter arrived this morning, must say well done to talbot/Bergin on the t and c's they'll basically end up swiping a heap of co-op shares from lads who sign up to this scheme and avoid having to do another spin - out , some of the wording and clauses in it are extremely alarming they really are taking things to a whole other level

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Dawggone

kevthegaff wrote: »

Great points dawg, bottom line, laying hen subsidising family and even farm which I'd imagine is very common this year. F..k I'm a realist, future doesn't look bright imo heap of powder, grain, uncertainty in demand/brexit. My lady is stay at home mum, so I'm only earner with fair repayments. Lot of 1 1/2 year replacements so sold all calves inc fr heifers, sold jeep, sold feeder wagons to generate cash in february, I think these short term decisions have helped bigtime but may have repercussions longterm. Bought an old cheep pig of a 160 hp tractor to do all slurry etc(high ground) as contractor bill is too high. Honestly think we need to start thinking outside of the box then have family labour/laying hen subbing a failing enterprise. Was considering putting in a new 20 unit but that has been put on the back burner to see how things develop. Starting to wonder is dairy farming a crippler on our bodies/bank accounts.

Way to go Kev!

That's the most positive post I've read on here for a while.

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir?" Keynes on being questioned about changing his view.

I come on here for the positive, proactive posters opinions about how they cope when the economic landscape changes.
Head down,arse up is for ostriches!

There seems to be an element of shame in the Irish psyche about admitting to need to change, and change is needed, otherwise....Einstein quote!

Pretending that your original (quota yrs) system of farming is bullet proof can be boring reading (for me anyhow).

So let's hear it for those that embrace change and get on with it!!

Water John

Thanks Ped, excellent post. It also show its important to make your notes once a person comes home from a meeting.

That splitting meeting was an EGM, I presume. If the minutes do not record a key point made by the Chairman that was influential in the decision, they should be challenged either at an AGM or legally. I'm sure plenty can affidavit what they heard.
2 cent is a lot to a farm producing 600,000 litres = €12K clean

pedigree 6

OverRide wrote: »

Shocking stuff
It's not amazing how arrogant these guys get when farmers aren't protesting
Why aren't they?

Also 60% of the GiiL 30 mill profit belongs to farmers and should be returned to them
Bergin should google Co Op

Was the chap in the attached image,one of the Glanbia board members,he has 2 large dairy farms probably with 100% fixed milk price delivery :mad:

No don't think so unless he is wearing glasses now. I don't think we should make it personal now. Not the way to go.

kowtow

pedigree 6 wrote: »

When challenged on why this year they can't scrap the 30m and use it to help farmers with their milk cheques. He said we can't do that it would only mean 2 cent a litre increase in price so not worth it. Plus investors would sell off the shares and dividends would fall. We have to have the 30m to invest in the company. What he didn't mention was that the 30m is profit in the coop and not in the plc which has publically traded shares. The only shares traded in the coop is between farmers.

Did anybody challenge them on this? There is no rational reason for a PLC investor to sell stock based on what a supplier to that PLC chooses to do with it's profits in it's members interests.

What investment plans (at the co-op level) are there and when are they going to seek their members approval for them? Do they not feel the co-op members may wish to re-evaluate any capital investment plans in the light of the significantly altered macro-economic climate and the significantly increased risk that the outlook for commodities in general and dairy in particular is somewhat softer than was envisaged when the current corporate structure was developed?

Then they told everyone how they feel their pain and to avail what they call GAP payment (loan)
... and that we are very lucky to have a strong glanbia and that it is delivering a positive share price and dividends to all farmers.

They were elected to run a co-operative and purchase milk, not to act as either a doorstep lender or a hedge fund. These are both services that a farmer would be well advised to buy from someone other than the single contracted customer upon whom his business is dependent.

whelan2

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/ornua-ppi-stabilises-for-the-first-time-in-15-months/

freedominacup

whelan2 wrote: »

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/ornua-ppi-stabilises-for-the-first-time-in-15-months/

A bit confusing that article. In one paragraph Irish production is up 5% in another it's down/falling. Hard to know what to make of it.

Farmer Ed

http://www.organicandhealthy.org/2016/07/amazing-denmark-is-set-to-become-worlds.html?m=1

Wonder what effect moves like this could have on long term milk price?

kowtow

Farmer Ed wrote: »

http://www.organicandhealthy.org/2016/07/amazing-denmark-is-set-to-become-worlds.html?m=1

Wonder what effect moves like this could have on long term milk price?

Denmark to be the worlds first country to go 100% organic? Amazing if an accurate representation of their plan. I have jokingly mentioned it a couple of times as a possibility for Ireland, but it looks as though for some it is a serious possibility.

Will be interesting to watch, although it might be a better discussion for the dairy chit chat thread than for this one.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Kerry hold June price, from Journal WhatsApp message

whelan2

Glanbia drop milk price to 22cpl including 2 cent co-op supports, are we the lowest for June milk in the country. ****ers ,no ornua bonus this month was 1cpl last month

whelan2

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Kerry hold June price, from Journal WhatsApp message

what is it at?

awaywithyou

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Kerry hold June price, from Journal WhatsApp message

There is a god!

Sacrolyte

Whoop di do.

kevthegaff

That's septic

CowMeister

Lakelands held at 23c

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

what is it at?

21.4c excl vat.

I don't know what the vat incl is or whether that's at 3.6/3.3 or whatever the new fantasy figure for fat/protein they're using this month.

We should make our processors quote all milk prices at 3.6/3.3 because this 'odd' fat/protein ratio and lack of a vat incl figure Kerry are using is only serving them and not helping farmers to compare returns:mad:

/rant*

*There will probably be more of these before the year is done.

Dawggone

We were promised 30cpl for July/Aug/Sept...backtracked now to 27.85 + flex + vat @ 3.2pr and 3.8bf base. Should bring me over 30cpl + vat (base). But annoying when they backtrack.

mahoney_j

Dawggone wrote: »

We were promised 30cpl for July/Aug/Sept...backtracked now to 27.85 + flex + vat @ 3.2pr and 3.8bf base. Should bring me over 30cpl + vat (base). But annoying when they backtrack.

Surprised yer not pumping loads of Shyte and milk into there head office dwag !!!!

Dawggone

mahoney_j wrote: »

Surprised yer not pumping loads of Shyte and milk into there head office dwag !!!!

Not my style Mahoney, but I'm quite at a loss why they're not...maybe the soccer and Bastille day have kept them busy.

Farmer Ed

Petty we didn't have a few French farmers over here. I would imagine we would all be treated with a bit more respect.

Farmer Ed

I'm no fan of ICMSA but I'd have to say they are on the ball on this one ‘Co-ops paying less than 23c/L for milk are underpaying their farmer suppliers’ @agrilandIreland http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/co-ops-paying-less-than-23cl-of-milk-are-underpaying-their-farmer-suppliers/

Farmer Ed

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

21.4c excl vat.

I don't know what the vat incl is or whether that's at 3.6/3.3 or whatever the new fantasy figure for fat/protein they're using this month.

We should make our processors quote all milk prices at 3.6/3.3 because this 'odd' fat/protein ratio and lack of a vat incl figure Kerry are using is only serving them and not helping farmers to compare returns:mad:

/rant*

*There will probably be more of these before the year is done.

Absolutely. Between vat fixed price schemes "bonuses" it is making it impossible to compare milk price. Also fat and protein can Vary a lot from region to region, depending on grass availability cow type ect. The only way to compare is to use a standard base to compare prices. Anything else is only a distraction.

OverRide

The EU today found Google guilty of abusing its dominant position to prevent competition
This is illegal they said

Remind me again what MSA's do to a farmers ability to switch milk purchaser?
It's not compulsory but you lose a lot of money by not signing one...

Anti competitive n'est pas?

Farmer Ed

OverRide wrote: »

The EU today found Google guilty of abusing its dominant position to prevent competition
This is illegal they said

Remind me again what MSA's do to a farmers ability to switch milk purchaser?
It's not compulsory but you lose a lot of money by not signing one...

Anti competitive n'est pas?

Was nearly killed for bringing this up here in the past but we have a thing here called the competition atorithy. A very learned gentleman there by the name of Ger Fitzgerald had a look at the Dairygold Msa and said it was OK. I suppose he did have an advantage if he needed to contact the firm of solicitors who wrote it. As Mr Fitzgerald is a former partner in the law firm McCann Fitzgerald and these are the people who wrote the contract. That was the first of the Msas if I recall correctly and it seems to have served as a template for others.

OverRide

It's actually ICOS that should be brought before the competition commission for instructing co op's not to take on new suppliers 'contracted' to other co op's

Mind you VRT isn't exactly pro competition in our perfect single market is it ?

blackdog1

Farmer Ed wrote:

Was nearly killed for bringing this up here in the past but we have a thing here called the competition atorithy. A very learned gentleman there by the name of Ger Fitzgerald had a look at the Dairygold Msa and said it was OK. I suppose he did have an advantage if he needed to contact the firm of solicitors who wrote it. As Mr Fitzgerald is a former partner in the law firm McCann Fitzgerald and these are the people who wrote the contract. That was the first of the Msas if I recall correctly and it seems to have served as a template for others.

Lads the bigger problem is who would you move to even if you could??? Unfortunately the west cork coops don't come out to my area and never will so it's a choice between kerry and glanbia. Better the Devil you know I say. I'd also lose my winter milk bonus if I switched. People also have to know we have increased the cost to process milk in this country because everyone is gone spring production so we need huge capacity for 4-6 months of the year and feck all for the rest.

Water John

Off season premiums were there 40 years ago to limit the peak to trough and maximise plant use. Its a choice that has been made to largely move away from that.

blackdog1

Water John wrote:

Off season premiums were there 40 years ago to limit the peak to trough and maximise plant use. Its a choice that has been made to largely move away from that.

I remember at a meeting with Jim Wolfe and a farmer stood up and said he was one of the few winter milk producers left and Wolfe said he'd like a few more because plant isn't maximised. But teagasc has everyone in spring milk so you lie in the bed you make. I'm the one who should be complaining. If everyone was 50/50 winter and spring our processing cost would be lower and we would have an even supply of product to sell each month not these ups and downs. Problem is they're is alot more work in winter milk so I understand completely why people got out of it.I often question my sanity

Bass Reeves

blackdog1 wrote: »

Lads the bigger problem is who would you move to even if you could??? Unfortunately the west cork coops don't come out to my area and never will so it's a choice between kerry and glanbia. Better the Devil you know I say. I'd also lose my winter milk bonus if I switched. People also have to know we have increased the cost to process milk in this country because everyone is gone spring production so we need huge capacity for 4-6 months of the year and feck all for the rest.

blackdog1 wrote: »

I remember at a meeting with Jim Wolfe and a farmer stood up and said he was one of the few winter milk producers left and Wolfe said he'd like a few more because plant isn't maximised. But teagasc has everyone in spring milk so you lie in the bed you make. I'm the one who should be complaining. If everyone was 50/50 winter and spring our processing cost would be lower and we would have an even supply of product to sell each month not these ups and downs. Problem is they're is alot more work in winter milk so I understand completely why people got out of it.I often question my sanity

Co-op no longer pay a bonus to new winter milk suppliers so they are not encouraging farmers to supply milk during this period. Along with more work winter milk is also more expensive to produce for the supplier. No point saving a fraction of a cent in production costs and spending multiples of that producing milk during the winter. All milk plants need to be taken out of production for essential maintenance during the year and this is targets during the winter period.

The other issue with production costs is the multiple drying/processing units in the country. There has been little cooperation between co-op in organizing efficient processing with most co-op management wanting trophy units in there area. What makes it funny is the word co-op stands for cooperative as in corporation. The biggest issue's to effect milk price are bad planning in only producing generic singular products milk powder, butter etc. and PLC's wanting milk at lowest world prices during a downturn without reflecting the high peak prices during an upturn.