LONDON: Dairy processors imported 354m litres of milk between April and November last year despite farmers facing a record superlevy fine for over-production.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the volume of milk imported between April 1 and November 30 grew by 77pc, or 155m litres, compared to the same period in 2013.
Co-ops and dairy companies attributed the lift in milk imports to increased supplies in Britain and Northern Ireland, and a shortage of processing capacity in both areas.Most Irish dairies already have the stainless steel in place to process the expected post-quota increase in milk volumes from their own suppliers.
While Kerry and Dairygold insisted they had not imported milk last year, Arrabawn, Town of Monaghan, Aurivo and Glanbia said they had purchased British or Northern Irish supplies. Lakeland Dairies declined to comment on the issue. The lift in milk imports has sparked fears that it could undermine the credibility of Bord Bia’s Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).
Bord Bia, however, maintained that any produce manufactured with imported milk had to be branded as such and that there could be “no ambiguity” on how product was represented under the quality scheme.
The SDAS is a business-to-business initiative and it is the responsibility of all dairy processors sourcing milk from the scheme to ensure any claims in regard to origin and assurances underpinning their products are true and accurate,” Bord Bia stated
A dairy sector representative insisted that the SDAS did not preclude milk imports where “the processing capacity permits or, indeed, where the market opportunity exists.”
