Kitchen Garden Forum

In today's Daily Telegraph

The cost to farmers of producing a litre of milk is now 30p – perhaps more this summer because it is so expensive to keep cattle sheltered from the cold and rain. But the price paid at the farm gate is 25p, if farmers are lucky.

And

Some are better than others, though: Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Tesco all offer more than 29p a litre. But even after price increases this week, Morrisons, the Co-operative and Asda are still well under the cost of production at around 27p and other supermarkets are paying barely above 25p.

the problem here is twofold, firstly the supermarkets are screwing the farmers into the ground on prices, not only on milk but veg too. farmers are told what dates to sow & harvest irrespective of conditions & maturity of crop. i know of one who ploughed in a full field of veg rather than sell it at a loss to a greedy supermarket as it was not mature on the date they wanted it harvested.

secondly the government is to blame for not protecting the farmers in the way the french do. when blair was in power & the foot & mouth broke out, he would have shed no tears if the entire dairy industry went to the wall & we had to import every last drop of milk.

as to the fix , well it's not that easy. how do we break the stranglehold that the supermarkets have ? they kill off the small guys,then hold the producers to ransom as they are the only outlet.as for the second point, getting out of europe is vital, but we need the government to back our farmers to the hilt to get this country producing good produce at an affordable price to both grower and consumer.

the EEC want to ban great numbers of pesticides/fungicides. lettuce grown here under glass is entirely dependant on fungicides in winter, whereas spain does not need them due to the climate. our growers yet again at a disadvantage. the spanish rubbing their hands at the thought of more exports to england.

It's not only the supermarkets - when did a feed company go bust? Despite causing mad cow disease and not taking any of the wrap it seems to me farmers are more dependent on them than they have ever been.

This is where a selective application of being green could help.


Food miles, put a field to distibution warehouse milage limit on what can be grown, in any calendar month, without protection from the weather at that time, in the UK, apply it evenly to all produce on sale in the UK. So UK June strawberries are cheaper than Spanish and the other way round in February.

Add in that any processing must be within fifty miles of where the animal or vegetable spent 80% of its growing life. Perhaps less for animal to slaughterhouse, and make an allowance for scotlands big empty bits.

Finally legislate, like Eire, that supermarkets cannot, a/. Buy below cost (of production + 2%) price, b/. Sell below their cost price.

Educate everyone about seasonality of produce.

Peter wrote

Finally legislate, like Eire, that supermarkets cannot, a/. Buy below cost (of production + 2%) price, b/. Sell below their cost price.

How does this work? Does this work? If so then how about starting an e-petition along those lines? If you get 100,000 then it at least gets some attention.

Oops, Eire was just not sell below cost price.

Elaborated my idea and went wrong, sorry Ireland.

A little dream. Increase the cost of milk by 10 pence a litre, part to bring price paid to farmers up to the cost of production, the rest to give them some profit.

Then wait for the public outrage!

Their little strike last night was one of the few my team actually came in and said well done to them. The message is out there but I bet they still wouldn't want pay any more for their pinta!

Westi

We could all help by not buying our milk from Asda or Morrison's, understand the Co-op have increased their price to the farmers.

Shallot Man wrote:We could all help by not buying our milk from Asda or Morrison's, understand the Co-op have increased their price to the farmers.

So have Morrisons!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18936539

This link is gives what each supermarket pays, but is probably already out-of-date

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176386/Victory-farmers-milk-war-Co-op-cave-increase-price-pay-litre.html

However, all is not as it seems. Talking to someone here in Wales who lives next a dairy farmer who, because he is a mile down a lane, Tesco won't collect, so he has no option but to sell to a processor.

Good for the Co-op,one of the more sustainable / ethical shops / banks. I choose to bank with an ethical bank rather than one of the big ones that deal in the war industry and other shady things It is not just the farmers supermarkets are screwing it is all their suppliers, while taking the giant share of profits. I also choose to shop locally as much as possible, supporting farmers directly and get my milk locally. I find if I make that effort it is actually cheaper and healthier and better for the planet some people are actually forming their own co-operatives and sourcing good wholesome food locally. We are complicit when we support such immoral practises, the big conglomerates are only interested in one thing - their profits! My father predicted this half a century ago, he said the supermarkets will squeeze out the small suppliers and when they have achieved that they will compete to squeeze out the weakest among themselves,, when they have control they will charge what they like! The only way to stop this is withdraw our support and place our custom with farmers and producers locally.

NB - it may have escaped your attention that although the Coop is one of the more ethical banks, they certainly weren't ethical regarding Milk prices. And even now, having been forced by public opinion to increase the price they pay from around 25p (well below cost) to 30p?, I don't think they are exactly leading the bunch, whilst I have heard suggestions that they aren't that good regarding home-grown fruit and veg - apologies if I am wrong.

One of the suggestions that I have heard is for farmers to form larger cooperatives. Apparently at present they just don't have the critical mass to push their cases.

,,,and you may also be unaware that the Co-operative is supplied with milk by Robert Wiseman, the dairy which sparked the protests in the first place by cutting prices paid to farmers.

What about milk delivered to the door - is this any better? I've only seen the stats for supermarkets. I am lucky enough to still have a milkman and order other bits & bobs as well. I don't ever want them to go as their milk actually last longer than the stuff we buy in the shops which doesn't last nearly as long before it sours.

Westi