The Munster Dairy Producer Organisation (MDPO) has today (Friday, June 14) announced that it now open for membership applications.
Chairperson of the MDPO interim council James Doyle, who is from Beaufort, Co. Kerry, has confirmed that a series of public meetings will take place in the coming weeks for dairy farmers.
The schedule for the meetings, which will all begin at 8:30p.m, is as follows:
- Wednesday, June 27: Woodlands Hotel Adare, Co. Limerick;
- Tuesday, July 2: Rose Hotel Tralee, Co. Kerry;
- Wednesday, July 3: Woodstock Hotel Ennis, Co. Clare.
In a text sent today, Doyle said that membership application forms will be available at each of the meetings.
He added that the membership application fee to join MDPO is €100.
Munster Dairy Producer Organisation
In April, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) officially approved Ireland’s second dairy producer organisation (PO).
The Munster Dairy Producer Organisation (MDPO) has been developed over recent months by a group of Kerry Group milk suppliers.
The suppliers, who held meetings and participated in protests last year, are unhappy at the milk price being paid by Kerry.
Doyle previously said that “the core purpose of the producer organisation is to collectively negotiate the best milk price and supply terms for farmers”.
He added that the Munster Dairy Producer Organisation was “open for discussions with any milk purchaser”.
Limerick-based barrister and agribusiness consultant, Ciaran Dolan made the submission for approval on behalf of the new entity.
Dolan, a producer organisation facilitator approved by DAFM, has already been involved with the establishment of two beef producer organisations.
Separately, Kerry Group previously confirmed to Agriland that it is currently working on a new contract for its milk suppliers, according to the head of the company’s dairy division.
“Our current contract with suppliers expires in April 2026. We’ve told the board of Kerry Co-op that we’re currently in the process of drawing up a new contract and that will be available over the next number of months,” Pat Murphy, chief executive of Kerry Dairy Ireland, said.