Northern Ireland dairy farmers vote in favour of strike before Christmas

Northern Ireland dairy farmers have said they will strike before Christmas unless the dairy industry deliver an increase in milk prices immediately.

Around 250 farmers voted in favour of strike action at a crisis meeting held in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, on Monday night (14 November). The meeting was brought together under a “Northern Ireland Farm Groups” heading, which included representatives from the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association, Fair Price NI, Holstein UK NI and Farmers for Action.

Northern Ireland Farm Groups have jointly issued the following statement: “After the news this week that Dairy UK (Northern Ireland) has blocked future engagement with the Ulster Farmers’ Union over its criticism of the failure of processors to pass on better milk market returns to farmers, the contempt and arrogance that milk co-ops must now have for their producer members is totally unacceptable and should result in co-op farmer board members requesting their co-op withhold levies for now.

“We in Northern Ireland Farm Groups on the current farm gate milk price issue extended a warm welcome to the UFU, where a place on the platform was available in Cookstown last night, for them to put their case alongside the current members of NI Farm Groups on an equal basis. UFU members and all dairy farmers are most welcome as a united front to this unprecedented onslaught of abysmal producer milk prices must be shown.”

'Processors do not understand how angry farmers feel'

Ulster Farmers Union deputy president, Ivor Ferguson, said dairy processors did not understand how angry farmers feel. After more than 18 months of struggling with prices below the cost of production, the union criticised the failure of processors to pass on better milk market returns to farmers.

Mr Ferguson then said farmers are right to demand that processors 'dig deeper' to give them the full benefit of the fall in the value of sterling and improving global markets.

"If they cannot do so, they need to explain to their members why this is the case and also when they can expect to see price increases. For the organisation that represents processors to respond to criticism by refusing to engage with the body that represents their farmer suppliers is, quite frankly, childish posturing," he said.