Waitrose Gives 100% Of Milk Price Increase Back To Farmers
UK - Waitrose, food shops of the John Lewis Partnership, announces today that following an industry wide rise in retail milk prices of around 1.7p per litre, it now pays the highest price to its farmers for milk than any other supermarket. Waitrose is pledging to give 100% of that increase back to the farmer – the only supermarket to do so.
25 April 2007
2 minute read
Since the launch of its Select Farm dairy producer group in 1999, Waitrose has consistently paid one of the market’s highest premiums to its farmers in return for superior quality milk. A group of more than 65 farms, all individually known by the supermarket, produce milk through efficient, ethical and sustainable farming practices. This latest increase, recently announced to farmers in a series of Waitrose Select Farm producer group meeting, means that the supermarket now pays its farmers around 23p per litre.
The news will be welcomed by the industry as farmers face more overheads, such as increased costs of fuel and feeds. By paying a premium, Waitrose enables its farmers to meet these costs, make a profit and reinvest in their dairies.
Today’s announcement coincides with the ‘Great Milk Debate’ - a campaign run by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes’ and the NFU, which aims to highlight the vital importance of the dairy industry to the rural economy, countryside and environment.
Says Waitrose Head of Dairy Buying, Heather Jenkins: “At Waitrose, we have long standing relationships with our dairy farmers and have consistently paid a fair price for our exacting milk quality standards. In order to sustain these relationships, we are always looking for ways to pass on profits to the farmer. Now our Select Farm Milk Producer Group will directly benefit from 100% of the recent price rise”
TheCattleSite News Desk
