Responding to calls from Farmers for Action for fundamental changes to be made to the current auction system, United Dairy Farmers' group chief executive, David Dobbin (pictured), has challenged the pressure group to identify milk purchasers who will offer better prices than those currently on-offer for local milk.
"The demand for milk from Great Britain has fallen away in recent weeks and milk from the Continent and also from within England is now being sold at low prices in the GB market," he told Farming Life.
"If Farmers for Action, or anyone else, is awar
e of anyone from GB willing to buy milk and pay good prices, provided they are serious purchasers and willing to take a supply contract, then United would be keen to be introduced to them and would meet them with Farmers for Action.
"The reality is that we do not know of any such buyers from GB and there is no-one knocking on our door offering high prices for milk.''
Mr Dobbin said that United's milk auctions reflected the situation on dairy markets. "Last year the United auctions reflected the strong market circumstances and led the market up and now the auction is reflecting the very weak global demand for dairy products.
"Markets are falling across Europe and the Irish Dairy Board reference prices are now at a 15-20-year low and are below our latest auction price.
"The United auction system has been changed on various occasions over the years, and the United Board of Directors keeps the auction system under constant review.
David Dobbin added: "But the problem at present is not the auction system: it is the market situation and that is what needs addressed and that is why we, and other representatives of the local dairy industry will shortly be meeting with local Ministers and political representatives and the EU Farm Commissioner, Mariann Fisher Boel, to seek greater EU support for the market and in particular the reintroduction of export refunds.
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