PLANS by some dairy farmers to dump milk this weekend because they exceeded their quotas to the Pine Hill Dairy (PHD) have been shelved.
The PHD has decided to pay the farmers concerned $1 per kilogram for the extra milk.
Farmers are usually paid $2.60 per kilogram of milk in quota.
Farmers who contacted the WEEKEND NATION complained that they were informed by an official at the PHD that they could not lease any excess quotas to other farmers because it was cutting into the dairy’s sales.
“About three farmers were planning to dump the excess milk on Saturday but yesterday we received word from PHD that they would pay us $1 per kilogram for the extra milk.
“We decided to take the offer because we usually lease quotas for 95 cents,” said one of the affected farmers, who also pointed out that the farmers considered taking legal action against PHD because they feltthis move was illegal.
But chief executive officer Richard Cozier has denied that such instructions were ever given.
