NFU Cymru Unveils Milk Contract Campaign

WALES, UK - In order to drive lasting change to milk contracts National Farmers' Union (NFU) Cymru has, this week, unveiled its plans for a new campaign to dairy farmers in Montgomeryshire.
calendar icon 23 October 2009
clock icon 2 minute read

The campaign takes on the debate about the role of milk contracts and will show just how improvements can be made to the benefit of both farmers and milk buyers.

NFU Cymru Milk Chairman in Montgomeryshire, Jonathan Wilkinson of Meifod said: “The NFU contract provides a template that can be adapted to any buying and selling situation and proposes ideas for changes that farmer groups might wish to make. We are here to help them achieve that though they need to decide themselves what changes are right for them and work with their buyers to bring them about.”

Underpinning the campaign is a series of meetings with all major and many smaller processors. There will also be a contracts summit for all farmer representatives on milk buying groups and co-ops, given their critical role in deciding contracts with buyers. Also a ‘Contract Health Check’ is available to all NFU dairy farmer members to help them understand their current contract and identify where improvements could be made.

Mr Wilkinson said: "A milk purchase contract is the most important piece of paper a dairy farmer signs, the majority are far too lengthy and complicated. They can be easily simplified and written in a manner that is understandable to all. This is clearly our objective."

The NFU template offers a simple format covering all the key areas. It can be amended and adapted to suit any situation. It is there to show what a milk purchase contract should look like.

“I would urge all of our members to avail themselves of the NFU Contract Health Check. At the end of the health check the farmer can complete a declaration to highlight those areas within his current contract that he believes require improvement. These declarations will be analysed and collated by milk buyers to give the evidence that the NFU needs to present to milk buyers to demonstrate that farmers really do want to see change,” added Mr Wilkinson.

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