Dairy farmers need a voice and organic dairy farmers need a voice of their own, with ongoing struggles within the dairy sector occurring, such as high costs of production, potential fodder shortages, further regulations and poor farm incomes.
The official launch of Irish Organic Milk Suppliers Co-op (IOMS) took place on July 30, at the Maldron hotel in Portlaoise.
The meeting was very well attended, with an open invitation to all active organic and in-conversion milk producers.
At the meeting, IOMS outlined the model and strategy for the co-op and began the process of signing up members on the day.
IOMS was founded in 2023 with the aim of working together to improve the livelihoods of Ireland’s organic dairy farmers.
The co-op established Ireland’s first Dairy Producer Organisation (DPO) earlier this year and is seeking to make organic dairy one of the most rewarding enterprises in the Irish farming landscape.
Organic dairy farming
Chair of the IOMS, Gavin Lynch told Agriland that the establishment of the co-op was designed to put “power back into the hands of the of organic dairy farmers”.
The co-op is not going to be a milk purchaser in the initial stages, but rather act as a price negotiator on behalf of organic dairy farmers.
Members will stay supplying their milk to their suppliers, while the IOMS dictates better prices for its suppliers and tries to form better livings for organic dairy farming.
“That recognition, as Ireland’s first dairy producer organisation back in January allows us to that allows us to to come together as a collective to negotiate on the price,” Lynch added.
However, it is not just about dictating price for the IOMS, as there is benefits that they can bring to processors as well, in terms of guaranteeing supply and flattening supply, according to Lynch.
The direction of travel from Europe shows that the sector has multiple challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental derogation, and water quality.
Lynch insists that “organic dairy farming is recognised as a solution or part of the solution to drive towards that more sustainable production and you know, we have to address these issues”.
With the ongoing nitrates derogation issues and other regulatory issues in the dairy sector, Lynch believes that organic dairy will be a great pathway for these farmers to respond to those problems and still make a a good living out of dairy farm.
“Power organic dairy farmers, both existing and potential to drive and through advocacy cooperation and determination,” the chair said.
Lynch believes that the ‘conventional co-ops’ have stepped up in supporting farmers in the last number of months as a result of the poor grass growth rates, the unsettled weather, and the financial difficulties that have arose.
Whereas on the organic side of things, Lynch believes there has “been no recognition of how difficult things have been, and that is why we need a unified voice for organic dairy farmers”.
Lynch believes that organic dairy farmers need a better margin out of the farm to keep going and to and to grow their businesses.
There is a “huge opportunity there for the whole organic dairy industry to grow”, the chair told Agriland, but he warned that “it has to become an attractive industry to bring in new farmers and be attractive to the farmers there already”.
“I suppose we want to make it one of the most rewarding farm enterprises in the Irish farming landscape,” he added.
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