NORTHERN IRELAND'S Farm Groups have released a joint statement following their recent milk crisis meeting in Cookstown.

The united lobby, including Fair Price NI, Holstein UK, the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association and Farmers For Action, said: “Last week we sent out requests to meet Northern Ireland’s milk buying co-ops on the serious issue of securing current UK milk market base prices for Northern Ireland’s dairy farmers for November, December and January milk, thereby setting the minimum forward currently deemed to be around 30pence per litre.

"The timing of this coincides with the last days for the Minster to back a call from Northern Ireland Farm Groups and the Agriculture Committee to match fund the EU Dairy and other aid package announced earlier this year," said the statement.

"DEFRA has to be notified ahead of them having to notify Brussels by November 30, 2016, of that intention. We understand Southern Ireland, France, Germany and others have chosen to do so in order to reduce EU milk supply further as a lever to return farmers a better milk price.

"If this is not delivered for Northern Ireland it will be a missed opportunity by the Minister to help struggling dairy farmers and other livestock sectors to the same level as other major member states have chosen to.

"The outcome of the meetings with Northern Ireland’s milk co-ops will be reported on, after the meetings next week in the press and on facebook to advise all concerned dairy farmers as soon as possible of progress or otherwise,” it concluded.