All 27 MEP candidates standing in the Midlands North West constituency could be waking up today (Tuesday, June 4) to a delivery of an empty milk carton thanks to Lakeland Dairies.
The dairy processing co-op has sent a symbolic empty milk carton to all MEPs as a means of illustrating the importance of the dairy sector to the region.
Lakeland Dairies has chosen to send each candidate an empty carton of its Champion milk brand with an appeal asking them to “never to allow anyone in Europe to imagine a rural Ireland without milk production”.
Earlier this year the co-op blamed a “challenging year” for a €300,000 drop in turnover to €1.6 billion in 2023 compared to €1.9 billion in 2022.
According to Lakeland Dairies it processed two billion litres of milk – collected from 3,200 farmers in 17 counties across the island of Ireland – last year.
Lakeland Dairies
The chair of the co-op, Niall Matthews, said that Lakeland Dairies chose to send an empty carton of Champion milk to the MEP candidates ahead of the elections on Friday, June 7 to highlight that its farm families produce milk 365 days of the year.
“Our industry is worried that unless we are supported over the next five years there could be a lot more empty milk cartons and fewer farmers by the time of the next election.
“We are asking the politicians to stand with our farm families and be Champions for agriculture and for the rural communities in our catchment area. We cannot allow anyone in Europe to imagine a rural Ireland without milk production.
“We are standing on the precipice of enormous change but our farmers and the industry are fully committed to embracing this change. We do, however, require the backing and support of our MEPs more than ever,” Matthews said.
Lakeland Dairies is calling on the 27 MEP candidates standing in the Midlands North West constituency to prioritise three key issues in the next European Parliament:
- The retention of the Nitrates Derogation;
- Recognition of the critical role farmers are playing to protect and enhance water quality;
- To ensure that all funding to continue to support farmers to produce food in harmony with nature is delivered to the region.