NFU Wants Raw Milk Price Rise
UK - Following the announcement that Asda is to raise First Milk’s cheese price by £400 per tonne, the National Farmers’ Union is calling on milk buyers and retailers to deliver an immediate and significant increase in raw milk prices to re-inject confidence into British dairy farming.
10 August 2007
2 minute read
“With commodity markets continuing to climb there is no reason why the industry cannot pull together to inject the confidence and cash that dairy farmers need to see them through”.
NFU North West’s dairy board chairman, Mike Taylor
NFU North West’s dairy board chairman, Mike Taylor, said: “The cheap food era is over. Conditions so far this summer have been disastrous for many dairy farmers, not just those who have been affected by floods, but farmers in the North West who have been forced to house cattle, use valuable stocks of silage and now face massive feed bills going into the winter.
“The industry has been muddling through these last few difficult weeks, but something has to give. First Milk announced that it has been forced to invoke clauses in its supply contracts as a result of the weather and spiralling rises in farm production costs. The only way to avert a severe reduction in volumes is for the supply chain to deliver an immediate and significant price increase to dairy farmers. I welcome Asda’s move as a significant first step, but this must be followed by other supermarkets and must extend into all other dairy categories.
“With commodity markets continuing to climb there is no reason why the industry cannot pull together to inject the confidence and cash that dairy farmers need to see them through”.
