Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Groceries Sector: Discussion (Resumed) with National Milk Agency
4:05 pm
Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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With regard to the margin producers receive, statistics show that the percentage of the end product price producers receive has dropped considerably. What profit margins have milk producers been operating under for the past month? I do not expect Mr. Murphy to look into a crystal ball but even if normal weather conditions return for the remainder of the year, what profit margins can farmers look forward to, even at this early stage?
With regard to the flexibility the own brand affords supermarkets to change producers, do the witnesses have any advice on whether it would be legal to ban own brand? Would it be anti-competitive? Has the agency obtained or sought any legal advice on that issue?