Tipperary ICMSA to meet this evening and will hear from Thurles-Centenary Co-op
ICMSA has called for the next round of Co-op milk price announcements to reach a base price of 50 cents per litre.
The local executive of the state’s specialist dairy farmer association will meet this evening when Tipperary ICMSA gather in Thurles’ Sarsfield Centre to hear a representative from Thurles – Centenary Co-op talk about current dairy situation and debate with the General Secretary of ICMSA, John Enright.
The meeting takes place against a background where ICMSA has called for the next round of Co-op milk price announcements to reach a base price of 50 cents per litre.
That would be a historic high and have enormous significance in the county which is Ireland’s second-biggest milk producer after Cork.
But ICMSA President, Pat McCormack, who himself farms at Greenane, said the price increase was absolutely justified and required: “Fertiliser costs have effectively trebled, and feed and fuel costs are also surging. Every commodity is rising, and milk will be no different. Milk is the economic foundation of Tipperary and we have to keep our local dairy sector responsive and viable, that means we have to be paid what the international markets are saying we should be paid and we have to be able to cover the kind of surging costs we are seeing”, said Mr McCormack.
The meeting will start at 8pm and will be chaired by Templemore farmer, Michael O’Connell.