Ireland-Farmers doing it tough.

IRELAND-DAIRY FARMERS DOING IT TOUGH.

An angry dairy farmer’s wife has warned that co-ops will have to drop off food vouchers for families should they continue to pay milk producers less than the cost of production.

The fear of not surviving the milk price crisis has forced Eileen Phelan from Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, to appeal for a solution.

Not having enough cash to put food on the table for her family is a very real worry facing Eileen.

The Phelan family’s experience is indicative of the daily struggle facing countless dairy farm families who are trying to get by in 2009 on 1983 milk prices.

"I can’t just wait until the bank account dries up to say this," said Eileen, whose husband supplies Glanbia.

"It’s food on the table I’m talking about. When they come to collect the milk are they going to drop off food vouchers too?"

The drop in milk prices to 20c/l (excluding VAT) which Glanbia and other co-ops are now paying their suppliers means thousands of dairy farmers are getting less for their milk than it costs to produce it.

"I wouldn’t mind meeting them [Glanbia] face to face and asking them to explain to me why they’re paid and I’m not.

"I just don’t understand it. You work hard and you get paid, isn’t that what’s supposed to happen?

"They work hard and they get paid. But so do we and we’re getting nothing.

"Do I have to go to my co-op and bang on the door looking for food?" she said.

Eileen insists she’s not anti co-op. In fact, she said she realises that the farmer needs the co-ops they set up, but this dependency works both ways.

"I want Glanbia and the farmers to work together. I think that’s what we need to be doing.

"If Glanbia can come to me and give me a solution, I’ll be happy to go away.

"Farmers are not looking for a mint. We only want enough to survive but what they’re paying us is barely enough to look after the cows."

She said that farming families are no strangers to having to make do with few resources. She’s willing to do without the new clothes and get by on hand-me-downs.

"But we need food for the table. It’s terrible but that’s what it’s come to," she explained.

"We’re not stupid. We know there’s a recession but what we’re being asked to accept is the equivalent of a 100pc pay cut.

"They can talk me down with figures all they like but the reality is that we just won’t survive.

"I’m not against Glanbia. I want them to move forward with the farmer but I don’t want them to leave us behind. If something goes wrong we’re all in trouble," she said.

- Majella O’Sullivan