Dairy farmers unpaid

[Studio25]

BBC Radio 4 - Today, 12/01/2015, NFU on future of dairy farming: "We lost sixty farmers last month"

Just looked on the Asda and Tesco websites - it's between 39p and 45p per litre, the farmers are being paid 20p (if they are being paid at all) which makes it a break-even industry.

I thought milk was supposed to be a "loss leader" - sold for little or no profit, or maybe even a loss, just to get customers through the doors. Looks to me like the supermarkets are raking it in.

Is there a reason why farmers can't sell their own milk? Do they process and bottle it at the farm?

I'd happily buy direct, except for the danger that you might see the occasional bull staggering out of the milking shed with crossed eyes and a big smile.

[westendlass]

More and more people are buying their milk from the supermarkets these days, and its no wonder given the price they charge. Its a terrible shame for the milkmen, you hardly see them at all anymore. Supermarkets have driven out the small businesses and changed the face of our high streets too. Our milkman works hard all year, probably for very little profit, the milk is delivered by 5 am everyday and, I think, is much nicer than the supermarket plastic bottled sort. Ours still has the cream at the top too which you don't find in a plastic bottle! I hope more people support their local milkman\woman otherwise, sadly, I think this service will become a thing of the past (then how long will it be before the supermarkets slap their prices up?).

[US Angel]

that's one of the things I miss here
everything has to be store bought
great to find farmers markets

[Lucysgirl]

I support my local farmer and get milk delivered to my doorstep, I hope he gets enough support to enable him to carry on.

It was only a couple of years ago that there was a brouhaha about the same subject and I seem to recall that supermarkets admitted they were in the wrong and commenced paying dairy farmers a more favourable price.

If we lose dairy farms we will be destroying the quality and quantity of our insect and bird life - in other words we will be breaking the links to our food chain. ...... "Grazing has additional benefits as it supports traditional meadow management ... This means that a whole range of wildlife moves into a cowpat to set up home!

Don't buy milk from Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl or Londis, say dairy farmers | Money | The Guardian


Dairy farmers are telling consumers not to buy milk at Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl or Londis – and think twice about Asda and the Co-operative – as the battle over prices spills on to the high street.
The row centres on the "farm gate" price paid to Britain's 14,500 dairy farmers, most of whom will, from 1 August, receive just 25p a litre for the milk they produce compared with around 30p before.

[Morecambe Ex Pat]

Don't expect any help from the government who would much rather the land be used for growing GM crops than have cows eating grass.

The retail price of milk is approximately half of what it was in 1979. As a comparison, petrol is 4x dearer now than it was in 1979.

[Alan Varrechia]

Just a thought. If Milk is so cheap, how come the price of cheese is still so high.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by Alan Varrechia

Just a thought. If Milk is so cheap, how come the price of cheese is still so high.

the goats have better negotiating skills than dairy farmers ?

[Accyexplorer]

The majority of dairy cows in the uk are bred to give much more milk than they would naturally (probably in pain and discomfort).
We must return to more natural, less intensive, farming, with animal welfare at its centre.



Leave the ruddy cows alone and fill the feilds with wind turbines or broccoli plantations.

[Lucysgirl]

The French are partial to their veal as you can see. It's one reason I don't eat veal and I certainly don't eat their foie gras, which they produce by force feeding geese and/or ducks.