Dairy Farmers are not 'milking it'

antrobus

SkyeKnight wrote: »

This has been going on for years and years - so how come anyone is still making milk? ....

It happens every time the milk price falls. The average farmgate price for milk wa over 31p a litre in 2013 and 2014; now it's more like 24p a litre.

skintpaul wrote: »

Should customers boycott all the supermarkets, until they give dairies a better deal?

Pennies to the big boys, but could mean all the difference to farmers.

Many already do. In Jan 2015 the BBC reported that;

Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer who are currently paying 34p per litre, Waitrose who are paying 33p per litre, Tesco who are paying 32p per litre and Co-op who are paying almost 31p per litre.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33842001

Thrugelmir wrote: »

That old chestnut. Buy British. ....
.

I don't understand that. Every supermarket I'm aware of sells milk that is clearly labelled as British milk.

Mistermeaner

Why do dairy farmers deserve a better deal, over anyone else?

It's not like they're being taxed into oblivion or operating in a highly regulated market.

Needs a few to go bust, supply and demand balance and then the survivors make a fair profit.

I bet blockbuster employed more people than dairy farming - who campaigned the them when lovefilm came along.

Move with the times or die!

remorseless

kabayiri wrote: »

Dairy farming has been going through a process of technological revolution.

Output of milk per cow has gone from 5,500 litres of milk to 7,500 litres of milk in just a decade.

Do we need that much milk in the shops? It is a consumable after all (and with a limited shelf life).

I recall it was the same in Australia few years back, somehow they managed to increase the price back to 51c/litre (£0.24)

Surprise surprise after lifting bans across the EU controlling the quota, other countries will be increasing production. Competition will be steep, the same as anything else.

And let's not forget more and more people are moving away from fresh milk and choosing other products. There are SOOOO many milks now!

Thrugelmir

antrobus wrote: »

I don't understand that. Every supermarket I'm aware of sells milk that is clearly labelled as British milk.

Milk is used in many other products.

kabayiri

remorseless wrote: »

Do we need that much milk in the shops? It is a consumable after all (and with a limited shelf life).
...

The farmers get more milk from fewer cows.

The normal response to manufacturers suffering a downturn is to invest and become more efficient. Dairy producers have actually done this. Standards in the UK are extremely high.

Mistermeaner

The cows themselves should diversify. Start laying eggs or something

remorseless

kabayiri wrote: »

The farmers get more milk from fewer cows.

The normal response to manufacturers suffering a downturn is to invest and become more efficient. Dairy producers have actually done this. Standards in the UK are extremely high.

That's the problem. There's an oversupply. Other countries have very high standards as well, so there's competition, so the price will fall further until there is shortage.

Farmers can become even more efficient, it still doesn't change the oversupply situation!

Mistermeaner

Until some go bust

princeofpounds

It's not like they're being taxed into oblivion or operating in a highly regulated market.

Indeed many farmers are far, far wealthier than average. It's just tied up in land, rather than producing liquid cash.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I'm worried that as more farmers go out of business, production will only become commercially viable at "mega dairies" with all the environmental and welfare problems they pose.

I only buy organic and I drink a lot of milk (by the glass, every day) so I'm doing my bit.