BYGONE DAYS: Omagh fury at order by ministry on the supply of local milk

Councillor Mervyn Rea from Crumlin on his Allis Chalmers tractor, at the vintage tractor and classic car road run, hosted by Loanends Presbyterian Church.

Mr J F Gamble, MP, president, who presided, said that when the sealed Order by the Ministry had been served on the milk suppliers to a number of creameries some of the suppliers were “naturally frightened because a sealed order in the past was something which must be obeyed”.

Fortified by the opinion of senior counsel the UAOS advised farmers to continue to send their milk to the creameries.

He said that the ministry had said that they would not prosecute, “but would starve them out by not paying them for their milk”, and that the creameries could only pay them 5 ½per gallon.

Zara Davis, Ballyrobert, won an award with her dog at the pet show. She was congratulated by Lyle Fleming, Glenburn Veterinary.

“We call this intimidation, but the farmers are not frightened,” Mr Gamble declared. “The UAOS is proud of the stand Omagh farmers have taken, and of the splendid example they have set.

“We can not think that the ministry will refuse to pay farmers the full price of their milk, because if they [the farmers] refused to obey an order that will have meant severing their connection entirely with their own creameries, leaving them idle and useless, and upsetting their present system of farm economy.”

Mr Gamble added: “If the ministry presses this matter it will definitely lead to legal proceedings, because we will do our utmost to see that the Omagh group of farmers get justice and fair play.”

SUPPLIES DIVERTED

Organisers Robert Wallace and James White pictured at the Loanends Presbyterian Church vintage tractor and classic car road run.

It was noted that ministry had been diverting, for the past few weeks, and increasing the supply of milk from a number of the creameries to the factories.

Mr Gamble commented: “From the beginning of the dispute we have informed both the ministry and Messrs Nestles, that the farmers in Omagh area were quite willing to supply the factory with milk, but only through their creameries.

“The minister stated very definitely that such milk would be quite unsuitable, and that they must get it direct from the farmers.

“Last week some 20,000 gallons of milk were supplied direct to the factory from creameries as far away as Killyman on one side and Killen and Leckpatrick on the other, and next week supplies will be drawn from Enniskillen and Springfield in Co Fermanagh.

Hugh Bingham, Lylehill, brought his 1921 Hornsby engine and impressive display of rally plaques to the vintage event hosted by Loanends Presbyterian Church.

“So that was the answer of the factory to the creameries’ milk supply being unsuitable.”

He added: “The Omagh group of creameries can supply those requirements, and there is no difference in the quality of the milk.”

He asked: “How can the ministry, under present conditions, justify the expenditure of petrol and lorries transporting thousands of gallons of milk a distance of 40 miles or over when the milk required was available within a few miles?”

Mr Gamble said that the UAOS had been, “further advised”, by senior counsel that as the order in question did not apply to milk supplied to creameries for manufacture then the milk going from these creameries to the factory was still going for manufacture.

“If compelled to so, in order to secure justice for the farmers, we will instruct creameries to refuse to supply the factory on the direction of the ministry after a certain date,” warned Mr Gamble.

He added: “I cannot imagine that a good sportsman like Lord Glentoran [Minister of Agriculture], who was a farmer, will lend himself to such a policy as was being pursued by the ministry in order to penalise a small group of farmers around Omagh. I hope the ministry will be wise in time, and not press the matter further.”