The reason for the falling price of milk is because supply is currently outstripping demand due to a lower than expected demand from China and Russia’s current ban on EU dairy imports. Intense competition from supermarket chains has also played its part.
Last week, Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness visited a dairy farmer in Bishop Burton to hear more about the issues the industry is facing.
Mr Stuart said: “The dairy industry is facing unprecedented pressure at the moment and the visit has been a great opportunity for me to take a closer look at the problems and see how they are affecting the farmers in Beverley and Holderness.
“Since 1980 we have far less dairy herds in the UK and fewer dairy cattle, yet milk production has remained relatively constant. The reason for this is that each cow is producing much more milk, which is a good indicator of efficient farming. What Government has to do is make sure farmers get a decent price for the milk.
“The Government is working hard to help the Dairy Industry by giving farmers more time to pay their taxes and prioritising RPS payment for dairy farmers. Last week, DEFRA Minister, George Eustice MP told the Welsh Affairs Assembly in London that new markets were opening up in China and Brazil and there is optimism that milk prices will begin to improve towards the end of this summer.”
The Waring family, Peter, Judith and their son James of Field House Farm Cherry Burton said, “We were pleased Graham found time to call in for a visit and join us for milking. We discussed the desperate situation in the dairy industry at the present time, and about receiving far less than the cost of production for our milk. We milk twice a day 365 days a year so it’s a way of life for us, not just a job.
“It’s good to hear the Government is taking the problems facing the dairy industry seriously and taking steps to improve the market for our milk and help cash-flow to get us through this very difficult period.”
Source: Driffield Today
