NFU Cymru Fights For Fair Deal For Dairy Farmers
UK - A major campaign is being launched by NFU Cymru today at the Welsh Dairy Event to encourage dairy farmers to send an invoice for the additional costs of production that they have incurred to demonstrate the gap that exists between current production costs and prices.
17 October 2006
2 minute read
Dai Davies, President of NFU Cymru, will launch the campaign in Wales, he said, “The aim of the invoice campaign is to send a clear message to the entire supply chain of the need for more sustainable milk prices that will give dairy farmers confidence to invest for the long term.”
Mr Davies continued, “The cavernous gulf between milk prices and costs is fast becoming a black hole which will swallow up large parts of the UK dairy industry if something isn’t done to reverse the downward price trend in the supply chain.”
New NFU survey figures suggest that the gap between what dairy farmers are paid for their milk and what it costs them to produce it has recently widened to almost four pence per litre as a result of energy cost inflation and the summer drought.
Based on the 350 returned surveys, they show costs have increased by 0.78ppl, to around 21p per litre. This compares with an average producer price to the farmers who responded to the survey of just 17.3ppl.
To make things easier for dairy farmers, the NFU has prepared a sample template invoice for them to fill in and copies will be available on the NFU Cymru stand at the Welsh Dairy Event. The completed invoices should then be returned to NFU Cymru. The information contained on the forms will then be used to calculate the income forgone to milk producers across the country.
Dai Davies concluded, “I urge all dairy farmers to complete their invoices and return them to the NFU so we can put real pressure on the milk processors and supermarkets. I am confident if all dairy farmers support us on this, we’ll get a result.”
TheCattleSite News Desk
