From the editor: 'Farmers cannot go on producing milk under the cost of production, spurred on solely by the hope of improvement'

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From the editor: 'Farmers cannot go on producing milk under the cost of production, spurred on solely by the hope of improvement'

This week from Farmers Guardian editor, Olivia Midgley (September 29)

Olivia Midgley

29 September 2023 鈥� 2 min read

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Hope is not enough to see dairy farmers through

With the challenges dairy farmers are already facing when it comes to prices and costs of production, a message on Friday telling them their milk may not be collected was another blow. Speaking to processors and industry figures last week, it was clear the sector was working hard to see as much milk as possible collected.

While Arla was quick to confirm farmers would still be paid, others were left waiting to see if they were pouring milk — and money — straight down the drain as a result of a situation completely outside their control.

And, as NFU chair Michael Oakes said, our thoughts must also go to the hard-working tanker drivers, the people who literally keep the dairy industry moving, who face uncertainty over their jobs. Many of our readers will know their regular driver well. With milk still needing to be collected, hopefully there will be roles for them. It is clearly a story which will continue to develop over the coming weeks and months, with Lloyd Fraser's parent company believing the administration was incorrect.

As we head towards October, farmers will be finding out their latest milk price for the coming months and doing the maths to see if it all adds up. And far too many will be reporting that it does not. Farmers across England, Wales and Scotland are facing pressure, but the stark figures released from the Ulster Farmers Union highlight the issues dairy farmers in Northern Ireland in particular face, with the third lowest price in Europe — 4ppl behind the rest of the UK.

Farmers cannot go on producing milk under the cost of production, spurred on solely by the hope of improvement somewhere down the line. In more positive news for dairy, public support has been highlighted on World School Milk Day with new polling by YouGov and the School and Nursery Milk Alliance showing four out of five adults in the UK think it is important for children to access free or subsidised milk in schools and nurseries.

It is an encouraging sign that the public is behind dairy farmers and understands the health benefits, despite the bluster from the industry's detractors.