In the UK large supermarkets often use milk as a ‘loss leader’. This means that in recent times the large dairies (milk wholesalers) who supply the supermarkets have been ‘squeezed’ to cut the price of milk they supply. If the dairies don’t comply the supermarkets will find cheaper suppliers abroad. In turn the suppliers squeeze the farmers who have nothing to squeeze other than a drop more milk out of the udders - if they're lucky!
The upshot of this has been significant cuts, in the price per litre paid to farmers, resulting in many farmers producing milk at a loss and going out of business. This, at a time when they are already suffering as a result of the recession and continued financial crises.
The upshot of this has been significant cuts, in the price per litre paid to farmers, resulting in many farmers producing milk at a loss and going out of business. This, at a time when they are already suffering as a result of the recession and continued financial crises.
I’m a bit out of touch with UK news, but before we came away farmers were blockading large dairies with tractors and other farm machinery. A representative of the NFU (National Union of Farmers) made a couple of points which really put the situation into perspective.
· In 1960’s a pint of milk cost pennies less than a pint of beer-just think about the differential now!
· Bottled milk can cost much less per litre than bottled water!
BREEZE and WILSON are a couple local singer songwriters based in the Staffordshire Moorlands (and very interesting people!) They are great supporters of local communities and have a large following in Staffordshire and beyond. We’ve been to a few of their concerts, in local village halls, and are always well entertained by their music and banter. They’ve written a song in support of the farmers…
Toby and Graham have made SOS Dairy available on iTunes to raise money for the Royal Agricultural Benovalent Institution.
I notice that when I do my weekly shop that most weeks there are deals on milk. In common with most people I like a bargain, although I'd much rather that these deals were coming out of the very deep pockets of the supermarkets than the livelihood of the small producers ...
