Dairy Farming in the UK gradually being destroyed...

[nicko31]

Good to see Morrisons have joined Co-Op in increasing payments. A step in the right direction.

Just shows the power of the celeb chef, when Jamie and Hugh start talking things happen.

Hopefully this will make the processors consider increasing their price, but of course not all the milk goes to supermarkets. Its used a lot by industry and to other retail..

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I'm not a fan of any influencing of market forces. If there's too much supply of Milk, quite rightly this will be reflected in the price farmers are able to obtain. No one cries if a Car manufacture makes too many vehicles and can't sell them, why should farming be any different?

The clever farmers will innovate or diversify. Those who won't will fail.

We don't import masses of milk so it's purely oversupply in the UK that's the problem. Personally i'd rather my tax contributions were spent on something other than proping up failing markets.

 

[BadFish]

Just shows the power of the celeb chef, when Jamie and Hugh start talking things happen.

Hopefully this will make the processors consider increasing their price, but of course not all the milk goes to supermarkets. Its used a lot by industry and to other retail..

Safeway in Australia have told their producers that they will be pay 10 per cent less and not passing that on to the customer. Paracitical scum!

 

[Willy Dangle]

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..

Before anyone gets on their soap box here ask yourself where you buy your milk from. Where do you buy most of your comodoties. The power is in our hands but only collectively.

I appreciate price etc but I buy as much as I can locally from local people. For this reason alone.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'm not a fan of any influencing of market forces.

Really? Do you not feel businesses should be reined in when they become dominant companies, cartels or monopolies?

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

processors will not increase the price to the farmers without putting the price up to independent shops, they would not put up the price to the supermarkets without the supermarkets permission.Then you could guarantee that milk prices in supermarkets would rise so the consumer pays for the increase.

I have just looked online and the first supermarket was selling 4pt milk at 1.18 under 30p/pt yet there 1pt price was 49p.

 

[sir albion]

Yes the farming industry is at an all time low,but many farms now are turning into industrial estates,so farmers do have options when making money.

 

[The Large One]

I'm not a fan of any influencing of market forces. If there's too much supply of Milk, quite rightly this will be reflected in the price farmers are able to obtain. No one cries if a Car manufacture makes too many vehicles and can't sell them, why should farming be any different?

The clever farmers will innovate or diversify. Those who won't will fail.

We don't import masses of milk so it's purely oversupply in the UK that's the problem. Personally i'd rather my tax contributions were spent on something other than proping up failing markets.

So you're putting the fault of the supermarket's greed and power at the hands of the farmers?

 

[beorhthelm]

So you're putting the fault of the supermarket's greed and power at the hands of the farmers?

hmm, i didnt see that written anywhere. however, if too much milk is produced then the price will fall, simple economics. so if the dairy farming industry has overcapacity, it will drive the price down. whether the price is being driven by supply or demand side is up for debate, i rather think the truth will be hidden beneth a tide of anti-corporate/supermarket feeling.

 

[The Large One]

hmm, i didnt see that written anywhere. however, if too much milk is produced then the price will fall, simple economics. so if the dairy farming industry has overcapacity, it will drive the price down. whether the price is being driven by supply or demand side is up for debate, i rather think the truth will be hidden beneth a tide of anti-corporate/supermarket feeling.

Hmm - similarly I don't see anything written anywhere about over-production being the issue.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

Generally I will always look for a bargain but not if it means loosing our own milk, once we are tied up with France they will be able to charge what they wish,lets support our farmers before its too late.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

hmm, i didnt see that written anywhere. however, if too much milk is produced then the price will fall, simple economics. so if the dairy farming industry has overcapacity, it will drive the price down. whether the price is being driven by supply or demand side is up for debate, i rather think the truth will be hidden beneth a tide of anti-corporate/supermarket feeling.

It's not "simple economics", though. The price that farmers get for milk is simply set by the big supermarkets, taking advantage of the fact that they have killed off any alternative outlets for the product.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

It's not "simple economics", though. The price that farmers get for milk is simply set by the big supermarkets, taking advantage of the fact that they have killed off any alternative outlets for the product.

The price is set in the majority of cases by the milk processors, not the supermarkets. The dairy industry would have you believe that the 31p markup on 4 pints of milk between the processors and supermarkets is "profit" but there are significant costs involved in the distribution, warehousing, refrigeration and supply to the shelves. BBC News - Milk price row: Farmers and processors agree draft deal

As always there are many shades of gray and it's easier to target the end of the supply chain.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

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.

Don`t buy milk meat eggs fruit or veg from the supermarkets you can get better quality cheaper from the local farms .

 

[Cian]

System here relies on milk processors that are mostly farmer-owned - there is one massive PLC but with an absolutely huge block shareholding by the coop it developed from - and farmers refusing to sell direct to supermarkets. Own brand milk here is nearly all bought from two specific processors.

Net result is that I don't think I've ever seen as many cows in fields, farmers are actively preparing for the end of quotas shortly and all. Price paid to farmers is roughly 30c/litre I think, and most of the country is suitable for 10 month outdoor grazing, some of it for 12 month.

 

[Cian]

For once Sydney, I completely agree with you. Our Gaelic friends over the water have a far greater passion for buying fresh quality food.

Rather unfortunately that's a typo for Gallic I think... I don't notice much of a difference in quality of fresh food here compared to the UK although there is a far higher % of it that's local or at least from the country. Virtually all beef and pork sold here is Irish and most chicken sold to consumers is - nearly all of it sold to the food service industry is imported though!

 

[beorhthelm]

The price is set in the majority of cases by the milk processors, not the supermarkets. ...
As always there are many shades of gray and it's easier to target the end of the supply chain.

thats the point i was trying to make, that the focus is only on supermarkets and the rest of the supply chain and economics of the industry is ignored. i recall hearing on the radio that the cake industry accounts far more demand than supermarkets/consumers. i've just look it up and according to DailyCo (farming industry funded) the farmgate price in the UK is only 2.3% lower than the EU average. some of the claims are conflicting, while the bbc site shows a 34p profit, other sources claim supermarkets are using milk as loss leader. all in all it feels like we arent being told a complete story.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Rather unfortunately that's a typo for Gallic I think... I don't notice much of a difference in quality of fresh food here compared to the UK although there is a far higher % of it that's local or at least from the country. Virtually all beef and pork sold here is Irish and most chicken sold to consumers is - nearly all of it sold to the food service industry is imported though!

Sorry, wasn't a typo as such as I've got my Gaelic's and Gallic's mixed up. I was referring to the French.