Longford Farming News: ICMSA urges joint action on collapsed milk price

Described as a ‘cost of farming’ crisis, the dairy sector is particularly exposed to increased costs and reduced output prices, with current milk prices 25% lower than a year ago. Picture: Cliff Donaldson

placeholder image — Described as a ‘cost of farming’ crisis, the dairy sector is particularly exposed to increased costs and reduced output prices, with current milk prices 25% lower than a year ago. Picture: Cliff Donaldson

Irish dairy farmers have been receiving a milk price below the cost of production since September 2025, according to Chair of the ICMSA's Dairy Committee Noel Murphy.

Irish dairy farming ICMSA members are no longer interested in 'sympathetic ears' and only want to hear a 'speedy and workable plan' for getting milk prices back above the costs of production.

That is the view of Chair of the ICMSA's Dairy Committee Noel Murphy, who pointed out that since September 2025, Irish dairy farmers have been receiving a milk price below the cost of production.

"We have had nine months of poor milk prices, high input costs and poor weather conditions and all we have got from the EU Commission, our Government and our milk processors is hollow expressions of sympathy and indifference," said Mr Murphy.

"We don't need sympathy; we need a speedy and workable plan that will bring our milk price back up to sustainable levels."

Mr Murphy said that it was hugely disappointing 'and mystifying' that officialdom had ignored the obvious speedy and cost effective remedy: the introduction of an EU wide Voluntary Milk Supply Reduction Scheme.

Mr Murphy said that such a scheme was a proven mechanism to address market over-supply and the lack of such a mechanism was forcing dairy farmers from right across the EU to carry on selling their milk at a price below the cost of production that was inflicting punishing financial losses on them.

The ICMSA's Dairy Chairperson called on Minister Martin Heydon to use his position as the Chair of the EU Farm Council to push for such a voluntary reduction scheme that Mr Murphy felt would 'almost instantly begin driving farmer milk prices upwards and back to sustainability.

"Turning to the price paid by our own processors and their so-called supports, the reality is that these supports have been generated by the farmers themselves; it's ultimately farmer money that is supporting farmers.

"We'd like the milk processors to be much more transparent and forthcoming in relation to returns from the marketplace and they need to utilise the substantial profit made during 2025 to bring farmer milk prices to a realistic level -and we include Ornua in that category.

"Everyone understands the pressures on butter fat but we hear very little about the fact that protein and whey have seem significant improvements -whey looks like it might have increased in price five-fold."