Wexford & Wicklow ICMSA to meet in Gorey as concern grows on TB ‘surge’

A joint meeting of Wexford and Wicklow executives of ICMSA will take place next Wednesday 16 April in the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey at 8pm.

The local members of the state’s specialist dairy farmer organisation will gather to hear a presentation on milk price outlook by one of the country’s leading dairy analysts, Paul Smyth, the Executive Secretary to ICMSA’s Dairy Committee. Milk price seems to be stable and positive just at the moment as local suppliers prepare for their May and June ‘Peak Production Period’ when a sizeable amount of their annual income is earned as milk volumes climb. Mr Smyth is expected to outline a generally favourable picture for the local dairy sector – the ‘Trump Tariffs’ notwithstanding. Of perhaps more concern is the picture around the surge in TB measures and it’s widely expected that the meeting will go into some detail about the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine’s new proposals to curb and reverse the very grim data showing increased TB incidence. ICMSA has been outspoken in its criticism of the new proposals on the grounds that it appears to place the whole burden – both restrictive and financial – on the farmers with all other parties to the situation (vets, marts, etc., as well as the Department itself) being largely exempt from any effort or regulatory increase. Much interest will fall on local reaction to the new proposals and some ‘blunt’ commentary is expected. The meeting will begin at 8pm under the Chairmanship of Padraig Doyle of Gorey with P.J. Wall of Newbawn acting as Secretary to the meeting.