Morrisons Milk for Farmers

leveller2911

Mojisola wrote: »

Which is exactly what is happening. Several dairy farmers sell up every week in the UK but until they reach that point, they have no option but to sell at the price they are offered.

In the real world , the one that the rest of us survive in people sell up all the time, they are bought out by larger ,more efficient companies who drive costs down and become more efficient. Sooner or later there may well be fewer farms but larger in size . Farmers just love the farming subsidies they receive every December but hate the EU competition that being an EU member brings but they can't have it both ways.

I actually think its a crime that milk is cheaper than bottled water but thats also down to marketing a product.Maybe they need the return of the Milk Marketing board, form a cartel in the same way the supermarkets do.

rapidtornado

If Morrisons are selling at ~40p a litre and they are buying it from a processing plant at say 36p per litre an the farmers have been public about it costing them 32p a litre then Morrisons are not really coining in profit from this. It's typically used as a loss leader to get you in their stores.

The more interesting bit of information is that over 50% of fresh milk production in the UK goes to processing for powdered milk, cheese and the like.... Where is the backlash on the processing guys?

I'm not standing up for supermarkets but there's more to this argument that making Morrisons out to be Villans

dacouch

enfield_freddy wrote: »

the 10p per litre should have come from morrisons coffers , not the general public

Ozzuk

I must admit without understanding the full justification I'm with Leveller on this. I really don't get why we should subsidise farming, I'm happy to be educated if anyone has any good reasons but they are a business, they exist to make money and if they aren't then they need to diversify. Same as any other business.

There is uproar when the banks are bailed out, and I mostly understand why we did that but farming? Business fail all the time - sure there should be help (and there often is) but unilaterally 'buying' a product for someone to pour it down a drain is just prolonging the inevitable.

lisa110rry

This is becoming very interesting and all opinions are welcome of course.

I make a huge effort to shop locally, purchasing local products whenever possible. I choose to shop at Booths, a chain in the Northwest, because the last time I asked, 28% of their products across the board were sourced locally to the Northwest.

I would really dislike having to purchase EU (non-British) milk, just as my window joinery was produced locally and installed by a local company. I also purchase my dog food from a local producer, or rather its outlet.

Gordon_Hose

Maybe farmers should set up dairy shops and cut the supermarkets out completely.

Ozzuk

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Maybe farmers should set up dairy shops and cut the supermarkets out completely.

How many of us shop at farm shops? I drive past one twice a day and often think I should call in there, but never do.

If they started selling vodka I might!

ryder72

I am with leveller on this. Farmers are a business and if its not viable to produce milk they should grow something else.

I havent heard of them offering to buy diesel at higher prices to reduce their subsidy take now that diesel has come down in price. They get enough subsidy through EU payments, red diesel and stuff. If they cant make it work with subsidy backup, they should be in business.

Sorry I am not paying any more for milk than I have to.

kev_min

Leveller makes an interesting point about subsidies,and I agree that a buisness should be able to exist without them. However farms are not the only buisnesses dependant on them and my own feeling is that ALL subsidies should be removed, this would include red diesel, the subsidy to wind/solar energy, the subsidy paid to train and companies and so on.......but no Govt would consider such moves for fear of public outcry!

lisa110rry

It is not only farmers who receive the benefit of red diesel. I work in construction where vehicles which do not travel on the road (under their own steam) use red diesel and also, our boat on the Broads uses diesel which is charged at 60/40 (can't remember if that proportion is white/red or red/white, I suspect the former). For the avidance of doubt they don't mix two colours to get pink, it's just the charge rate.