Pressure heaped on Wisemans, Arla and Dairy Crest to follow

NFU Scotland has welcomed the positive leadership shown by farmer’s co-operative First Milk in rescinding the price cuts planned for August 1.

The co-op has recognised the pressures on its dairy farming member and will re-instate prices even though there has been no commitment to price improvement shown by any of its key milk processing customers.

Dairy farmer ire will now focus the UK’s largest liquid milk dairies – Mueller Wiseman; Arla and Dairy Crest.  These companies sparked the current round of milk cuts and producers will be looking for them to follow First Milk’s lead.

Scottish dairy farmers and their families are already planning to be outside the Mueller Wiseman site at Bellshill in Lanarkshire from 7.00pm tonight.  NFU Scotland is also co-ordinating a dairy farmers rally at Lanark market on Monday 30 July at 1.00pm.

NFU Scotland’s Milk Policy Manager George Jamieson said:

“Kate Allum and her team at First Milk have shown bold leadership over milk prices with this decision and recognised the genuine concern of their members. 

“This bold move has been made despite the co-op’s returns being largely dependent on the monies received from its major milk processing customers. The pressure is now firmly on Mueller Wiseman, Arla and Dairy Crest to back this up.

“All those dairy farmers selling direct to these major processors and not in the position to benefit from a supermarket contract for fresh milk are also looking for processors to show similar reaction and a clear commitment to reinstating prices to a fair and sustainable level.

“Going forward, we wholeheartedly endorse First Milk’s view on the need for fundamental reform of the way our dairy supply chain is currently structured.  That is visionary thinking from the co-op and we look forward to working with it in the weeks and months ahead.” 

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006