Talks aimed at preventing severe disruption to doorstep deliveries of milk to Dublin homes were continuing last night between a group of Dublin milk agents and Glanbia, the giant dairy company.
A number of milkmen protested outside the Glanbia distribution centre at Sandyford, Co Dublin, yesterday afternoon over the company's plan to close the facility and transfer the distribution depot to Fonthill Business Park, at Citywest, next week.
A spokesman for the group claimed the company, which has a majority share of doorstep deliveries to Dublin homes with its Avonmore brand, had closed the facility without reference to them.
"We will have increased costs of around €1,500 a year because of this transfer, and the company seem to expect us to take this without saying anything or trying to protect our livelihoods," said Kevin McLone.
"There are additional problems of traffic in that area early in the morning, and the agents already using the Fonthill site are unhappy about additional people coming in."
He said the 58 agents taking nearly 300,000 gallons of milk from the centre annually were considering extending their picketing from the centre to Glanbia processing plants in Louth, Kildare and Kilkenny later today.
However, while door-to-door deliveries of milk may be declining, An Bord Bia said new figures show the Irish spend on average €112.50 annually on their potatoes, buying 179kg (28.2st) of the vegetable annually.
The retail market for fresh potatoes last year was in the region of €150 million.