Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) agricultural spokesperson, Samuel Morrison, has highlighted the pressure now coming on dairy incomes in Northern Ireland.
He told Agriland: “Next week sees the annual RUAS Winter Fair: a highlight of the agricultural calendar and a chance for dairy farmers to catch up with neighbours and friends they may not have seen since this time last year.
“But amid the new machinery, innovations, and prize-winning stock, one issue is certain to dominate every conversation: the milk price.”
Milk price
According to Morrison, dairy farmers in Northern Ireland are facing “one of the toughest financial squeezes in recent memory”.
“Only last autumn, milk prices sat around 44.56p/L, offering a degree of stability after years of volatility,” he said.
“Today, with quotes tumbling to as low as 32.3p/L, many producers are asking how much longer they can hold on.
“A drop of over 12p/L in just a matter of months has an immediate and brutal impact on family farms.”
The north Co. Antrim-based politician added that production costs are making the situation even harder.
“Feed, fertiliser, fuel, energy, and veterinary bills remain stubbornly high,” he said.
“For many farms, the cost of producing a litre of milk is now higher than the price they receive for it.
“Farmers are effectively paying out of their own pockets to keep producing food for the nation. That is not just unsustainable: it is fundamentally unfair.”
Consequences for sector
According to Morrison, the consequences of these growing financial pressures on dairy farming incomes are stark.
He explained: “Some farmers are cutting herd sizes. Others are postponing vital investment in buildings, slurry storage, or animal health.
“A worrying number are contemplating leaving dairying altogether: a decision that would hollow out rural communities and weaken the long-term resilience of our local food system.
“Once a dairy farm closes, it rarely reopens.”
The TUV representative outlined the important role farmers play in Northern Ireland’s rural community.
“Northern Ireland prides itself on producing world-class dairy products, but that reputation depends entirely on the survival of the farmers who produce them,” Morrison said.
“As milk prices fall and input costs rise, the gap between profitability and survival widens by the week.
“Without a fairer, more stable system – one that protects farmers as well as processors and retailers – we risk losing not just individual businesses but a cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s rural identity.
“It is time for policy-makers, processors, and retailers alike to acknowledge the imbalance and act decisively.
“Our dairy farmers cannot be expected to carry the burden alone.”
