MORE THAN 700 dairy cows in Northern Ireland are currently listed for dispersal on one livestock auctioneer’s sales book, as farmers there queue up to quit the industry.

Dairy farmers have been under immense pressure for the past two years, with farm gate milk prices often not covering the cost of production. Even though prices have slowly started to climb again, the writing is on the wall for a number of local farmers.

This week, Co Louth-based livestock auctioneers, Taaffe Auctions, has listed more than 700 dairy animals to be dispersed at auctions in Dungannon Farmers Mart and through other on-farm sales in Co Tyrone.

One of the herds up for sale belonged to the late Lord Ballyedmond, Eddie Haughey, who was the founder of Norbrook Laboratories and was tragically killed in a helicopter accident in Norfolk, in March, 2014.

The entire pedigree milking herd of 76 cows as well as 24 springing heifers, 24 bulling and maiden heifers, 10 heifer calves and a stock bull will be sold on November 15.

According to the farm manager, John Meade, the Haughey family, which owns Ballyedmond Castle Farms, have decided to restructure their farming operations in order to ‘reduce overall losses.’

Mr Meade, who has worked at the farm in Rostrevor for the past four years, added: “The family have been very passionate about farming and milking cows but have taken the decision to restructure the farm and cease dairying.

“It’s been a very tough decision for the family and one they have not taken lightly, but they wanted to reduce overall losses.We have a modern dairy milking facility here but with the current climate regarding milk prices, we felt it is better to concentrate on our other farming activities here including beef and sheep farming.

“Having been involved with this painful decision to sell the cows here voluntarily, I cannot imagine the pain any farmer has to go through if facing a foreclosure due to lack of cash flow. It must be terrible.

“There are not too many dairy farmers making money with prices hovering around the 20p per litre mark and some are really struggling to pay bills.

“For some, offloading the cows may seem to be an extraordinary measure to gain some cash flow but these are no ordinary times in dairying,” he said.

Michael Taaffe, from Taaffe Auctions, said there were a range of reasons as to why farmers were selling up: “Some farmers are retiring and were just waiting until milk prices went up a little so that the stock would rise in price too. Others are indeed finding it tough going. The lever is with the milk processors to increase the prices paid to farmers so that the entire industry benefits.

“Some families are at the end of their tether and simply cannot afford to lose any more money,” he said.

Fair Price Farming NI chairman, Charlie Weir, described the increased dispersals as a worrying trend: “Many dairy farmers are being forced out due to the insecurities of low milk prices.

“Many people who work in the dairy processing industry are also losing their jobs – look at the 70 job losses at Fane Valley, in Banbridge.

“Processors are looking for more milk, but if more farmers quit the amount of milk available in Northern Ireland is getting less. Farmers cannot keep on milking at a loss, the processors must increase prices so everyone can stay in business,” he said.