East Lancashire farmers deliver milk price warning

9:12am Thursday 12th July 2012 in Business Photograph of the Author By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

The dairy farmers in London The dairy farmers in London

EAST Lancashire farmers have attended emergency meetings to discuss falling milk prices which could ‘decimate’ the industry.

Around 40 Lancashire farmers went to London for the summit organised by the National Farmers’ Union.

The meeting was at Central Hall, Westminster, with 2,000 dairy producers nationwide heading to the capital to voice their concerns.

Over 600 North West farmers attended a similar meeting at Haydock Racecourse, near Wigan.

Research carried out by Kite Consulting found it cost around 30p to produce a litre of milk, which is bought by supermarkets for 25p.

It means farmers make a 17 per cent loss on each pint they produce, totally an average of £50,000 a year.

Eric Dowson, farmer at Hawkshaw Fold Farm, in Clayton-le-Dale, said: “We went to London because we wanted to make our concerns very clear.

“This round of price cuts and the last round are so damaging to the dairy industry that they will make it uneconomic to produce milk.”

Mr Dowson, whose wife runs Mrs Dowson’s Ice Cream, in Longsight Road, said that rising production costs were also putting pressure on farmers.

Graham Young, chairman of the National farmers’ Union in the North West, said: “At the moment, there are three farmers a week going out of business and if it continues there will be an exodus from the industry.”

Comments (7)

2:03pm Thu 12 Jul 12

2 for 5p says...

Why are you still producing you are the arcitects of your own downfall.
What other business do when it becomes un economic is shut down and try a business that pays.
Why are you still producing you are the arcitects of your own downfall. What other business do when it becomes un economic is shut down and try a business that pays. 2 for 5p

2:05pm Thu 12 Jul 12

2 for 5p says...

Gravy train ended has it.
Gravy train ended has it. 2 for 5p

4:51pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Noiticer says...

Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?
Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board? Noiticer

7:27pm Thu 12 Jul 12

2 for 5p says...

Noiticer wrote:
Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?
yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word.
[quote][p][bold]Noiticer[/bold] wrote: Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?[/p][/quote]yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word. 2 for 5p

8:07pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...

2 for 5p wrote:
Noiticer wrote:
Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?
yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word.
No matter what way you swing politically Left or Right, to get pleasure from the misfortunes of hard working people says something about you, and it's not something very nice.
[quote][p][bold]2 for 5p[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Noiticer[/bold] wrote: Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?[/p][/quote]yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word.[/p][/quote]No matter what way you swing politically Left or Right, to get pleasure from the misfortunes of hard working people says something about you, and it's not something very nice. Michael@ClitheroeSince58

12:56pm Fri 13 Jul 12

Noiticer says...

I don't take pleasure from other's misfortunes but merely made an observation and asked a question. History should teach us lessons and we should learn from them. Many hard working people have lost their jobs through the actions of politicians, employers and fellow employees and farmers should be looking at decisions they made in the past and the political party and economic system many of them support and ask themselves questions as to how these relate their current difficulties. Is it better to have a regulated or deregulated market?
I don't take pleasure from other's misfortunes but merely made an observation and asked a question. History should teach us lessons and we should learn from them. Many hard working people have lost their jobs through the actions of politicians, employers and fellow employees and farmers should be looking at decisions they made in the past and the political party and economic system many of them support and ask themselves questions as to how these relate their current difficulties. Is it better to have a regulated or deregulated market? Noiticer

2:08pm Fri 13 Jul 12

2 for 5p says...

Michael@ClitheroeSin
ce58 wrote:
2 for 5p wrote:
Noiticer wrote:
Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?
yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word.
No matter what way you swing politically Left or Right, to get pleasure from the misfortunes of hard working people says something about you, and it's not something very nice.
what is wrong with taking pleasure in seeing people get what they asked for.
The farmers asked for the obolition of the milk marketing board and they got what they wanted. I don't see where the problem is.
[quote][p][bold]Michael@ClitheroeSin ce58[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]2 for 5p[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Noiticer[/bold] wrote: Remember the Milk Marketing Board which guaranteed a fixed price to farmers for their milk. This Board regulated the market for all but was swept away in a previous Tory government's neo liberal market economics and look what the result has been. I wonder if the farmers back then were in favour of scrapping the Milk Marketing Board?[/p][/quote]yes they were because they thought they would get more money from free market. Remember what Marx said capitalism would self destruct never a more true word.[/p][/quote]No matter what way you swing politically Left or Right, to get pleasure from the misfortunes of hard working people says something about you, and it's not something very nice.[/p][/quote]what is wrong with taking pleasure in seeing people get what they asked for. The farmers asked for the obolition of the milk marketing board and they got what they wanted. I don't see where the problem is. 2 for 5p

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