Dairy Farming in the UK gradually being destroyed...

[nicko31]

We live a a green, damp island with some of the best dairy farmland in Europe. But what do our farmers get? Well a lot are getting 14p a pint, yes get more for bottled water.... While the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Co-op (yes the co-op) continue to pay a pittance we have to ask ourselves how much longer British milk will be a staple of our diet.
Once the farmers are gone, they're gone and the countryside will never be the same again..

 

[CHAPPERS]

They had a guy from Morrisons on BBC Breakfast this morning asking why the supermarkets don't take the hit when they reduce milk prices. He tried to worm his way out of answering but made himself sound like a complete tosser. I'd quite happily pay MORE for milk to be honest, if I knew my money was going to the farmers.

 

[Badger]

Who actually looks at the price of milk when they pick it up in the supermarket? If they put it up by 20p I think very few people would notice.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

We live a a green, damp island with some of the best dairy farmland in Europe. But what do our farmers get? Well a lot are getting 14p a pint, yes get more for bottled water.... While the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Co-op (yes the co-op) continue to pay a pittance we have to ask ourselves how much longer British milk will be a staple of our diet.
Once the farmers are gone, they're gone and the countryside will never be the same again..

I think the same thing is happening to our meat as well. We just don't where it comes from anymore and most importantly how the animals are being treated and how they are being slaughtered. I saw a video on youtube about the two types of slaughtering. The one where they get stunned before hand and the one where they don't. It was pretty horrific and honestly has made me question eating meat.

 

[nicko31]

They had a guy from Morrisons on BBC Breakfast this morning asking why the supermarkets don't take the hit when they reduce milk prices. He tried to worm his way out of answering but made himself sound like a complete tosser. I'd quite happily pay MORE for milk to be honest, if I knew my money was going to the farmers.

Yes I saw the PR guy from Morrisons, dressed up in farming atire to make it look like he cared. It was a pretty pathetic defence of their position, at one point blaming the poor summer and poor retail sales. Supermarkets just treat milk like Bananas (a known cost item), they fight the price down and down and the poor old farmer gets screwed. Dairy farming is a tough job, if you just keep making loss after loss whats the point..

 

[Gazwag]

Who actually looks at the price of milk when they pick it up in the supermarket? If they put it up by 20p I think very few people would notice.

What about the knock on effect in respect of all the other goods which are made from milk. I imagine it would put a lot of milkmen out of a job as well.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

The same thing happend in France a few years back and I think in the end the farmers started giving their milk away for nothing or disposing of it. May be as customers we should deal directly with these dairy farmers and cut out the middle men being the supermarkets and go back to having our milk delivered in the mornings like we used too.

Dairy farmers win 10 percent wholesale price hike - FRANCE - FRANCE 24

 

[superwomen]

My dad was a farmer many years ago and I really feel for them - they work all hours and What for - May be the land the own its worth a Mint but working it is worth northing except it they sell it for Housing etc - sorry rant over !

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Many of our dairy farmers have been driven out of business. The old adage " you never see a poor farmer" is simply not true. New regulations within dairy farming has rendered many dairy units useless and the farmer's unable to afford the upgrade. These regulations are plain stupid. There was one farmer near Sheffield Park that invested over 1million into a new parlour only for it not to be fit for the new regs come the time it was commissioned. Time spent with planning etc caused the delay. Result bankruptcy.

I farm sheep and pigs and believe me its hard to scrap a living. I attempt to sell directly to the public.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Many of our dairy farmers have been driven out of business. The old adage " you never see a poor farmer" is simply not true. New regulations within dairy farming has rendered many dairy units useless and the farmer's unable to afford the upgrade. These regulations are plain stupid. There was one farmer near Sheffield Park that invested over 1million into a new parlour only for it not to be fit for the new regs come the time it was commissioned. Time spent with planning etc caused the delay. Result bankruptcy.

I farm sheep and pigs and believe me its hard to scrap a living. I attempt to sell directly to the public.

Out of interest what do you sell?

 

[Gazwag]

May be as customers we should deal directly with these dairy farmers and cut out the middle men being the supermarkets and go back to having our milk delivered in the mornings like we used too.

Still do, ok it a bit more expensive and only get three deliveries a week but you can still do it

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Many of our dairy farmers have been driven out of business. The old adage " you never see a poor farmer" is simply not true. New regulations within dairy farming has rendered many dairy units useless and the farmer's unable to afford the upgrade. These regulations are plain stupid. There was one farmer near Sheffield Park that invested over 1million into a new parlour only for it not to be fit for the new regs come the time it was commissioned. Time spent with planning etc caused the delay. Result bankruptcy.

I farm sheep and pigs and believe me its hard to scrap a living. I attempt to sell directly to the public.

I hope one day there is a shift with more customers going through people like you. We may need to pay a bit more, however we know we are getting better quality and we know people are being paid properly.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Out of interest what do you sell?

pigs mainly I attempt to sell quantity at a time ie 1/2 a pig for £ 100. My sheep are a new venture and I'm building up the flock so have no lambs for meat this year.

 

[CHAPPERS]

1/2 a pig for a 1er! Would this be butchered for me?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I hope one day there is a shift with more customers going through people like you. We may need to pay a bit more, however we know we are getting better quality and we know people are being paid properly.

That raises a very good point. Because I try to sell local and too many expect a "bargain", to get it cheaper than the supermarket. I can't do that, my pigs are free range rare breed, fed properly, no crap, and produce traditional meat, alike of which many have never tasted. In the current situation many will not pay the price.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

1/2 a pig for a 1er! Would this be butchered for me?

Indeed!

 

[shaolinpunk]

I'd happily pay a bit more for milk if that extra was going to the farmers

 

[Simster]

Who actually looks at the price of milk when they pick it up in the supermarket? If they put it up by 20p I think very few people would notice.

Completely untrue!

 

[Simster]

It's hard what to do about this issue really. Ultimately people use supermarkets because they don't want the grind of shopping in ten different shops when they can get it all in one shop. If you are shopping for a dinner party or something, then of course a visit to the butchers/green grocers becomes a pleasure, but if you lack "me" time, then grocery shopping is frankly one big pisser.

What really annoys me is that supermarket prices are not particularly low despite the economies of scale, especially for fresh food and fruit/veg in particular.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

That raises a very good point. Because I try to sell local and too many expect a "bargain", to get it cheaper than the supermarket. I can't do that, my pigs are free range rare breed, fed properly, no crap, and produce traditional meat, alike of which many have never tasted. In the current situation many will not pay the price.

And that raises my point. It might be great to get 50 sausages from places like Lidl for 2.99 but where is this meat actually coming from.
How are the animals treated and how are they slaughtered. At least we know buying from people like you, we know we are getting the best.