Latest news with #ICMSA
Irish Independent
13-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Call for lay TB testers to help reduce vet workload
In England and Wales, Approved Tuberculin Testers (ATTs) support vets in delivering TB testing of cattle. The ICMSA has said that non-vet TB testers – like those used in England and Wales - could help reduce workloads for vets, particularly during busy spring periods to allow them to focus on 'other critical areas' of animal health. In England and Wales, Approved Tuberculin Testers (ATTs) support vets in delivering TB testing of cattle. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, told the Farming Independent that TB testing in Ireland is carried out by approved private veterinary practitioners or DAFM Veterinary Inspectors with 'no plans currently to change this'.
Agriland
12-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Investments being ‘postponed' due to planning exemption delay
Farmers are now postponing their on-farm slurry storage investments due to the delay in the government confirming the exemption to planning rules for storage infrastructure. That is according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), which said that the postponing of investments is 'hugely regrettable' in the context of our efforts to improve water quality. The farm organisation called for 'immediate government action' to address this delay. Eamon Carroll, the ICMSA deputy president, said: 'The current limbo that some farmers find themselves in is due to the delay in publishing the long-awaited planning exemption on slurry storage, and a level of clarity could be brought to this issue in a matter of days if the political will is there to do so. 'Farmers took the government announcement in autumn 2024 in good faith that a planning exemption would be in place in January 2025 and six months later, we are no further on. 'The reality is that if a farmer had applied for planning permission in January 2025, they would be through the process at this stage in most cases, but they took the government's word on this issue and are now in limbo, unable to invest,' Carroll said. The ICMSA is calling on the government to outline exactly what it is proposing; what will be allowed and not allowed under the planning exemption; and what date the exemption will be in place from. 'Based on this information, a farmer can make a judgement call to wait for exemption or go ahead and apply for planning permission,' Carroll said. 'It is hugely disappointing that at this stage, many farmers are going to miss out on the best months of the year for doing storage investment on their farm…this is really hampering farmer efforts in terms of improving water quality. 'This needs to stop,' he added, calling on the government to immediately publish the detail and allow farmers to make and informed decision on how to proceed with water quality investments on their farmers. 'Farmers are willing to do their part and the government needs to step up immediately on this issue,' he added. The relevant ministers have previously indicated that exemption under planning rules for slurry storage is 'expected' to be in place to coincide with the tranche of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) that is set to open on September 6 and close on December 5. At the beginning of April, a delegation from the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) met with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and Minister of State with responsibility for housing, John Cummins, on the promised exemption for stand-alone slurry storage. It was during this meeting that the September timeline was given, it is understood.
Agriland
06-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
ICMSA: 50c/L base price ‘fully justified' for May milk
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said that a base price of 50c/L is 'fully justified' for May milk supplies. The chair of the association's dairy committee, Noel Murphy, made the comments ahead of milk price announcements for last month from co-ops. He said that co-op boards 'should resist any attempt for milk price reductions for May given the current conditions in the marketplace'. Noel Murphy, ICMSA Dairy Committee chair. Image: Domnick Walsh Eye Focus Murphy said that 'milk supplies globally and in particular in the EU remain constrained'. 'There is no evidence to suggest that milk supplies will increase to any great extent in the foreseeable future while demand for dairy products is strengthening in advance of the holiday period and dairy demand is looking strong in the medium term. 'The Global Dairy Trade (GDT) is higher today than it was at the start of 2025, the average milk price across the EU is at 53c/kg while the Dutch quotations have shown improvements in the order of 2c/L over the course of May,' he said. 'It would be simply unacceptable for milk processors, some of whom are conditioning farmers for a reduction, to cut milk prices to boost their own profits for 2025. 'The reality is that no one else in the milk processor supply chain will be taking or expected to take a cut,' he added. 'Co-op boards are fully justified in insisting that milk price is set at least at 50c/L for May milk and provide dairy farmers with the confidence to invest in their business and for the next generation to reconsider dairying as an attractive option for their future career. 'It is clear at this stage that dairy markets are relatively stable and dairy farmers expect at a minimum that their milk will remain stable or else move up to 50c/L if currently below that level,' Murphy said.
Agriland
06-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Latest beef quotes described as ‘sneaky'
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said that farmers will feel frustrated and disrespected by the 'sneaky' 10c/kg cut in beef quotes late last week. Chairperson of ICMSA's Livestock Committee, Michael O'Connell said the price drop was 'slyly introduced' by procurement staff introducing new base prices from mid-week onwards. 'It's strikingly similar to last year; at the first sign of uncertainty in the trade, factories pull prices by 10c/kg. 'Why does this 'uncertainty' always manifest itself in the form of price cut to the farmer primary-producer?' he added. The ICMSA stated that the only certainty is that beef production is down globally. Noting the record beef prices since the turn of the year, O'Connell pointed out that set against the costs of production and value of store cattle, these price increases were needed. He said that returns for beef farmers in recent years had been very marginal and farmer hopes had been high that this year might see prices provide a 'buffer' against that trend. 'We had hoped that this year would see the kind of beef prices that the market indicated and that long-suffering farmers deserved. But, as usual, factories have 'thrown the toys out of the pram' in an attempt to regain control over the trade with this farcical price cut.,' O'Connell continued. 'When we look at the prices paid to beef farmers this spring, it is perfectly obvious that factories have had the capacity to pay well for cattle when there is a demand. '…In 2019, at the time of the beef protests at factory gates around the country, prices were at an all-time low of €3.40/kg for steers and heifers. Today, we [have] seen base prices of €7.60-7.70 for steers and heifers – more than double. What has changed in this period? 'The answer is the mindset of Irish farmers as well as the cattle herd size across Europe and internationally,' he said. The ICMSA chair said that the numbers of suckler cows has reduced dramatically, while the age demographic of Irish farmers has steadily increased. He stated that farmers are now testing the marketplace by selling factory fit cattle in marts and leaving factory agents and procurement staff to battle it out ringside. Alongside that trend, huge pressure has been put on factories by the increasing number of calves, weanlings and beef cattle being exported into Europe and further afield, according to the ICMSA. 'For the past two or three years, cull cows have insulated and propped up factory throughput. But the latest throughput figures have shown that the cull cow kill has peaked with current figures falling below last year's,' O'Connell continued. 'Young bulls are also falling steadily, but this has been an ongoing trend due to the blatant 'blackguarding' of young bull finishers over the last number of years. 'That group who finished young bulls are falling rapidly at exactly the same time as we see huge developments in live exports. 'And this is where the factories' 'mind games' have caught up with them; they've spent so much time deliberately manoeuvring to keep prices low with reduced kill plans, short weeks and instilling uncertainty in demand that no-one can, or should, believe them.' Reduced kills The ICMSA Livestock chairperson said that reduced kill plans were nothing more than a price controlling measure. 'It creates a sense of panic among farmers to try offload cattle before a further price drop but realistically, it is a method of 'flushing out' the last of the shed cattle,' he said. 'Factories will naturally kill their own feedlot cattle at the expense of farmers' cattle. Most factories are reduced to three to four days per week suggesting that they are trying to stretch out a limited availability of slaughter-fit cattle – and that analysis is supported by the reduction in cow and young bull kill. 'I would urge farmers to sensibly consider their options before giving in to factories and particularly where we're talking cattle off grass. It is very early to kill cattle from grass, with or without feed. 'Cattle may look fleshy and fit, but it is amazing the thrive the cattle would do in the next month, and I believe farmers would be disappointed with returns on these cattle.' The ICMSA is urging farmers, particularly with grass cattle, to consider the mart, as the 'dying power' would not be in these cattle yet. The farm organisation has said that the mart trade this week is ahead of factory trade with beef Hereford and Angus cattle making up to €4.10/kg liveweight. 'No matter what way you add it up, a base price of €7.50 with a breed bonus of 20c and taking your chance on the 'mysterious' grid is not going to come up to €4.10/kg liveweight in the mart,' O'Connell explained. 'Continental steers and heifers are commanding up to €4.30 and up to €4.50/kg in cases of better-quality cattle. I'd really urge those farmers with cattle off grass to consider the marts.'
Agriland
05-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
ICMSA: Farmers ‘on board' with climate change plans
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) president, Denis Drennan has said that despite massive challenges, Irish farmers are engaged in the effort to address climate change. Speaking at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Agriculture and Climate Change conference, Drennan said that the results and data were now 'showing the fruits' of farmers' efforts. Drennan believes that farmers are committed and 'on board' with plans to mitigate climate change. However, he stressed that farmers needed reassurance that those plans still rested on 'the three pillars of sustainability', including economic, environmental, and social. The ICMSA president said: 'There are challenges ahead that will have to be faced, and even leaving aside the very significant and unfair anomalies in the accountancy framework used for measuring emissions, the most obvious challenge is the ongoing failure of government to step up and support farmers. 'It's this failure of the government to support its own policies and recommendations that is hampering even more encouraging results and data. 'Irish agriculture is leading the way globally in meeting the climate challenge and the ICMSA believes that farmers can, and will, do more if properly supported,' Drennan added. Climate change According to the ICMSA president, the government has to stop 'coming up with reasons for not taking action' on climate change. Drennan believes that Budget 2026 should be used to signal a 'more proactive approach'. He also called on the government to 'work with farmers to make progress' on Ireland's emission targets. Drennan said: 'Work with farmers to make more progress ,or ultimately pay the fines that will be levied, because Ireland falls short on the emissions targets that could have been hit if we'd had the support. 'Budget 2026 is where we'll see if the government understands that choice and has made a decision that is logical on both the environmental and financial fronts,' he added.
