Where to buy milk that ensures fair price for farmers?

Charliezoo

I've always been a little concerned that dairy farmers are being ripped off but I never knew the full extent of it. In the Telegraph there's been an article highlighting the unfair prices and I'm shocked that farmers are only paid about 25p a litre which doesn't even cover their costs.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/9408891/Dairy-farmers-are-being-skimmed-alive.html#

I'm willing to pay a bit more for my milk if I know that the farmers are getting a fair price but I don't know where's best to buy milk. Does anyone know the best brand/shop to buy milk from?

Eliza_2

Not Asda, Morrison's or the Co-op. See article here http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/13/07/2012/133931/Milk-culprits-named-and-shamed.htm

More info on NFU website.

jemb

I work in North Yorks and the area has alot of farmers. There are big banners up saying that Tesco and M and S (another that i cant remember) are the only ones paying a fair enough price.

dlusman

At the bottom of this story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18898830

it states
"Those cuts would not affect farmers supplying Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer or Waitrose as they are paid directly by the supermarkets
"

Or you could buy from a farm shop / farmers market ?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I would buy your milk from somewhere like Riverford?

patchwork_cat

Eliza wrote: »

Not Asda, Morrison's or the Co-op. See article here http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/13/07/2012/133931/Milk-culprits-named-and-shamed.htm

More info on NFU website.

Ironic considering Asda was originally set up by associated dairies by a dairy farming cooperative ! I would also like to know this, but as well would like to buy my milk from farmers that are humanitarian.

geordie_joe

Charliezoo wrote: »

I've always been a little concerned that dairy farmers are being ripped off but I never knew the full extent of it.

And you still don't know the full extent of it.

Farmers, like many others, are very good at telling people half the facts and leaving them to jump to the wrong conclusion.

Farmers may get paid less than production cost, but they also get subsidies from the EU, which means they make a profit over all.

It's like someone claiming they can not afford to live because they only earn the minimum wage and their take home pay is less than their out goings. But failing to mention that they also get a large amount of housing benefit and family tax credits.

You may be complaining that farmers are being paid less than the production costs, but third world countries are also complaining that our farmers are selling milk, and other dairy products at less than production costs, so putting their own farmers out of business. Our farmers can do this because they get subsidies from the EU to do it.

Have you also noticed how farmers never mention the price they get for milk sold to companies other than supermarkets? The ones that make products that contain milk. Take a look around any supermarket, there's more milk in the tinned goods than there is in the milk chillers.

byjimini

Buy it from the farm if you can. Some of the farmers round here deliver it to local towns & villages, so they get much more of the profit.

patchwork_cat

byjimini wrote: »

Buy it from the farm if you can. Some of the farmers round here deliver it to local towns & villages, so they get much more of the profit.

If you buy it from the farm is it going to be pasteurised?

I feel very strongly about this as my dad caught intestinal TB from drinking unpasteurised milk as a 2 year old. He was hospitalised for 3 years and lost a lot of his intestine. TBH he was lucky to survive.

HappyMJ

patchwork_cat wrote: »

If you buy it from the farm is it going to be pasteurised?

I feel very strongly about this as my dad caught intestinal TB from drinking unpasteurised milk as a 2 year old. He was hospitalised for 3 years and lost a lot of his intestine. TBH he was lucky to survive.

It'll be raw milk but nowadays TB is quite rare and the risk is negligible.

patchwork_cat

HappyMJ wrote: »

It'll be raw milk but nowadays TB is quite rare and the risk is negligible.

If bovine TB is rare why all the talk of culling badgers. It is very naive to think that I would consider any risk of a disease that affected the whole of my Dad's life and nearly killed him acceptable!