Upturn in Dairy Returns Boosted by Winter Payments in Northern Ireland

 He said that since United was the biggest buyer of milk in the region, it was encouraging that farmers were set to gain from a policy that reflected what was happening on dairy markets.

“It seems ironic that as the EU’s Voluntary Milk Production Reduction Scheme is being implemented, United finds itself in the position of needing more milk to satisfy the business it has through its Dale Farm brand.

"This is encouraging news for producers – and I hope other processors will follow United's lead to allow farmers to benefit from what is happening on national and global dairy markets,” said Mr Irvine.

The UFU says the United bonus will come as a welcome cash flow boost for farmers at a time of the year when costs begin to climb.

The dairy committee chairman added that while some farmers might gain from the EU scheme to cut milk production, this latest development underlines why the UFU was never convinced that the answer to low prices globally was to reduce production here.

“The indications are that markets are recovering and that is why United is offering a bonus, and farmers want to be in a strong position to meet market demand,” said William Irvine.

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