PICTURES: Limerick and Clare milk producers celebrate annual dinner dance

Dairy farmers have to be optimistic about 2024 because they can’t afford another year like 2023, said Michael O’Connor, chairperson of the Limerick and Clare Liquid Milk Producers.

Mr O’Connor was speaking at the group’s annual dinner dance in the Dunraven Arms Hotel on Friday night.

The Croagh man commenced his speech by congratulating the new chairperson of Kerry Co-op.

“He just happens to be one of our own from Kilfinny, James Tangey, who in 50 years is the first Kerry Co-op chairman based outside Kerry,” said Mr O’Connor, who reflected on being a dairy farmer in 2023.

“Some things never change, we as farmers are still seen as the baddies of everything that’s wrong regarding climate change. We still have a minister for the environment who would like us farmers to go back to the dark ages and use horses instead of horsepower but he still sits on a plane to fly halfway around the world to tell everyone they should get rid of fossil fuels. He obviously doesn’t realise that jet fuel comes from oil out of the ground,” said Mr O’Connor.

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He said last year was “challenging to say the least”.

“It was like the perfect storm - both milk price and weather. In March the first of the milk price drops came and the weather soon followed - except for a few weeks in May / June. From then on it rained continuously - milk price and volume seemed to drop.

“For myself I haven’t really got a problem with the price we were paid but when you’re stuck with 2023 prices and a lot of high costs of 2022 be it medicine, doses, detergents etc it took more and more litres to buy some products. We were hit with nitrates, longer holding periods for soiled water etc - all more red tape.

“We have to be optimistic for 2024 because we can’t afford another 2023 so we will hope for a better milk price and some fine weather,” said Mr O’Connor, who wished one and all in attendance a safe 2024 on their farms.

He concluded by thanking all the sponsors of the spot prizes, the hotel for the meal, all the organising committee and the band, Heart and Soul.

PICTURES: Brendan Gleeson