Glanbia is locked in talks with the IFA over grain prices as the Irish Farmers Journal goes to print, with farmers at the gates of two of their premises.

Farmers want the Glanbia base price for grain increased. They say that the €128/t paid by Glanbia for feed barley is well short of the market price, particularly as markets are currently rising.

The price is augmented by €13/t of top-up payments from Glanbia co-op funds.

“The €7/t differential between barley and wheat is also at least €5/t short of the market,” IFA chair Mark Browne also stated.

The IFA hold that the Glanbia top-ups should be added to a price more like the €138/t base paid for feed barley by Dairygold.

Glanbia highlighted a final price of €141/t as the benchmark, and with up to 40% of the 200,000t of grain it purchases being a premium product, the actual average price paid to farmers works out at €166/t.

The protest began on Friday, with farmers assembling outside the gates of the mill at Portlaoise.

On Saturday, the action was extended to the Gain Feeds mill at Clonroche, Co Wexford. No lorries entered or exited either plant, with a 24-hour vigil being maintained.

Initial talks took place on Saturday, and recommenced on Monday evening.

Following an exhaustive all-night session reminiscent of the recent beef protest talks, it was agreed “as a gesture of goodwill” to allow 20 loads in and 20 loads out of each mill on Tuesday.

A third round of talks began on Wednesday with the IFA delegation led by president Joe Healy, grain chair Mark Browne, and director general Damian McDonald. Glanbia Ireland CEO Jim Bergin headed the Glanbia team present.