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HomeDairyHigh Court refuses to grant Lidl injunction against IFA
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High Court refuses to grant Lidl injunction against IFA

Lidl has failed to secure a High Court injunction to stop the IFA’s campaign on milk labelling.

The court has, today (Friday, June 4th, 2021) provisionally awarded costs to the farm group.

IFA president, Tim Cullinan, said: “This action was an attempt by Lidl to silence IFA.”

“I am delighted that the court has declined Lidl’s injunction application and provisionally awarded costs against Lidl.”

Cullinan said the drive by retailers towards using their own brands was “undermining the people who actually produced the products”.

“Lidl went a step further by inventing ‘fake farms’ and a ‘phantom creamery’. They should stop this immediately,” he added.

‘The primary producer loses out’

He stressed that such action by retailers can have the effect of pushing down prices and allows retailers to increase margins.

“It is the farmer as the primary producer who loses out. IFA will continue to push the Government to establish the new Food Ombudsman’s office without delay.”

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One of their first asks should be for a forensic investigation into labelling and margins across the entire food supply chain.

“It is very difficult for individual farmers and suppliers to challenge major retailers given the disparity in scale and resources. However, IFA will continue to call out these practices without fear or favour,” he said.

He said farmers work incredibly hard to produce top-quality, nutritious food.

On the back of this, farm group has launched a joint campaign Sustaining Ireland with Agri Aware. “This campaign brings real farmers to the forefront and tells their stories,” Cullinan concluded.

‘Processors have to deliver a milk price of 36c/KG for May’

Meanwhile, the IFA has said that Irish dairy processors must deliver a farmgate price of 36c/L (including VAT) for May supplies.

“May is the peak month for milk production, and the markets are very strong at the moment. However, our analysis of international dairy markets confirms that Irish farmgate milk prices do not reflect the buoyancy in dairy markets,” he said.

“Co-ops have a duty to their farmer suppliers. Therefore, any attempt to hoard market returns to shore up their balance sheets will be strongly opposed,” he said.

“Irish dairy processors are not returning the milk price in the marketplace. As a result, there is an unacceptable gap between the market and what farmers are being paid,” he said.

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