News Dairy
Irish milk supply shows some improvement
The Irish milk supply in the first five months of 2024 was lower than the milk supply in the same period a year earlier. The pressure on the income of dairy farms is increasing. New calculations on the income of Irish dairy farmers indicate a tight financial situation.
The Irish milk supply in May was 1.2 million tons, the lowest in the past three years and 2.28% lower than in the same month in 2023. However, the difference is less significant than in April, when the milk supply was 7.88% behind last year's April. Compared to the five-year average, the milk supply in May is 18,720 tons lower.
The milk supply from January to May was 3.4 million tons, also the lowest in three years and 5.94% lower than in the same period last year, according to the latest Eurostat data. The Irish milk supply faced challenges earlier this year mainly due to wet weather. However, these are not the key months for Irish milk production. Milk supply typically peaks in April, May, June, and July.
The Irish Examiner reports on the incomes of Irish dairy farmers that are expected to come under further pressure. Weather conditions, among other factors, drive up costs and reduce milk production. Milk prices have not increased to cover the costs. Uncertainty is rising, deterring dairy farmers from making investments.
An average dairy farmer earns €5.76 per hour according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA). According to The Irish Farmers Journal, this would be less than half of the minimum hourly wage. Denis Drennan of ICMSA calls it 'a disgrace that the most technical and trained dairy farmers have to make do with this'. The calculation was based on a milk price of 43 cents per liter and production costs of 37 cents per liter.
