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Ministers told to stop “thinking out loud” after horses remark – ICMSA

Pat McCormack, President of ICMSA, reacted to Green Party Minister of State Pippa Hackett’s comment about horses last week. This was after she suggested livestock farmers could possibly introduce horses as a way of reducing emissions while supporting the equestrian sector. McCormack said: “ICMSA fully accepts that we must ‘think outside the box’ when it comes to emissions and the transition to lower carbon. We are up for that; we…

Inconsistent beef prices “suspicious” – ICMSA

Des Morrison, the Chairperson of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association’s (ICMSA) Livestock Committee, has brought attention to what he notes is a “bluntly suspicious” development with regards to variable beef prices – he points out that these either rise or remain stable across Europe, but not in Ireland. “The average reported Irish R3 steer price as of the 6 August 2022 was €4.81/kg excluding VAT, which was down 42c/kg…

Double-standard at play in Ireland’s emissions debate – ICMSA

Pat McCormack, president of The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), has commented on the “brazen double-standard at play in Ireland’s emissions debate”. There is, he says, a “deafening silence” when it comes to aviation emissions in comparison to the fixation on farming. Mr McCormack added that the silence was “even more deafening when contrasted with the non-stop hectoring and criticism directed at farming in general and dairy farming,…

ICMSA to reduce members’ milk levy contribution

ICMSA, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association, announced this week that it will be reducing the milk levy contribution paid by its members by 33%. This reduction in the levy will apply for the remainder of 2022. The levy is based on a percentage of milk value. The decision was apparently made in the face of the extraordinary rise in farm input costs. “The year 2022 has been unprecedented so far with…

Progress made with fixed milk-price schemes

There has been some progress regarding fixed milk-price schemes, this is according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA). Kerry ICMSA executive, Pat McCormack who was speaking at a meeting held earlier this week and said that suppliers who signed up for contracts in good faith at between 30c/L and 32c/L “are well short of the mark” on current milk prices. He added that the ICMSA has advised farmers…

ICMSA concerned about nitrogen target

The recommendation to reduce chemical nitrogen (N) use in the dairy sector by 35% is not realistic, this is according to Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack in reaction to the draft interim report issued by the Food Vision Dairy Group. Chaired by former director of Teagasc, Prof. Gerry Boyle, the group is tasked with examining ways for the sector to achieve targets for agriculture and land…

A personal insolvency arrangement can offset a forced land sale

The use of a personal insolvency arrangement (PIA) has been suggested for farmers forced to sell their land due to debt. Shane O’Loughlin, the farm business chair from the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), has highlighted that the court-approved PIA mechanism has thus far been successful in preventing fire sales of farmland by vulture funds. O’Loughlin explains that the package is usually facilitated by a personal insolvency practitioner, who…

Fixed Milk Price Support scheme welcomed by ICMSA

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has welcomed Glanbia’s announcement of a Fixed Milk Price Support (FMPS) scheme. This aims to assist suppliers who entered large supplies of milk into fixed price schemes at a rate of payment considerably lower than recent monthly base prices. ICMSA president, Pat McCormack says “there is growing and unprecedented pressure on dairy farmers who locked into these contracts in the last number…

ICMSA calls for broader focus to Food Vision Group outcomes

Concerns have been raised regarding the focus of the Food Vision Dairy Group. The group has been tasked with finding ways for the dairy sector to help achieve targets for agriculture and land use in the Climate Action Plan 2021. According to Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association’s (ICMSA) Dairy Committee Chair Noel Murphy, it is narrowly focused on dairying, which he adds is not good enough. He says that the group…

Call for outdated TAMS costing revision

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) farm and rural affairs chair, Denis Drennan, has requested that revised Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) costings be introduced immediately. His view being that costings for shed building and farm investment under the TAMS are now “disconnected from reality”. Drennan describes the charges as “demonstrably out of date and inadequate”, saying that this was the case even before the most recent surge in inflation…

Government announces crop-planting scheme amid food security concerns

As concerns over food security mount government has announced several methods in alleviating concern. In its recent announcement government says that it would introduce a crop-planting scheme for farmers in order to assist with the current crisis that may be looming as fighting continues with Russia and Ukraine. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue announced that he would meet with farm organisations on Tuesday to discuss this…

Dairy production takes centre focus at roundtable discussion

“The main ‘takeaway’ for us from yesterday’s meeting was the view expressed by Tánaiste Varadkar that he is against any volume control on the amount of Irish milk produced”. These were the words of Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association president Pat McCormack. It followed a meeting between Leo Varadkar and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Martin Heydon. Discussions at the meeting focused on…

ICMSA will prioritise milk output levels alongside Food Vision Dairy Group

The Food Vision Dairy Group (FVDG) has been established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue. Noting the development, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association’s (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack has said that the FVDG must not link emissions from the dairy sector with Irish milk output. The FVDG membership consists of representatives of all stake holder groups operating within Ireland’s dairy sectors. The processers will be represented…