FARMING leaders are predicting more tough times for Dorset dairy farmers.

Speaking at the Dairy Show at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, NFU members said farming families are under pressure from bovine TB, but also issues surrounding milk prices.

Figures published by industry body AHDB Dairy show 124 farmers from the South West have left dairying in the last year.

NFU board chairman Rob Harrison said the union would do all it could to help its members weather the storm and overcome the price volatility which has caused so many problems over the last 18 months.

He added: “The positives are few and far between in the dairy sector at the moment as we’ve seen milk prices plummet. It is still an extremely tough time for dairy farmers as we move into the autumn; AHDB figures show that average UK milk prices have fallen by 25 per cent in the last year.

“We have met with all the UK’s major retailers in the last few months and those meetings have brought some encouraging results, with Aldi, Lidl and Asda promising a minimum farm gate price of 28 pence a litre for their own brand milk. We have also seen some moves on cheese, which is so important for farmers in the South West.

“But we have to put this in context: British dairy farmers, on average, were £10,000 worse off in July this year compared to the same time 12 months ago and every extra month the losses mount up. We need to see retailers and other end users pay a fair price on all dairy products to ensure a sustainable industry.

“We will continue to urge government, processors and retailers to work with farmers for more fair and transparent contracts, stronger producer groups and the development of a futures market. In addition, dairy products must be more clearly labelled as British to empower consumers to help us.”

NFU President Meurig Raymond added that, when it comes to managing market volatility, UK dairy farmers are at a significant disadvantage to their competitors.

“The dairy sector is going to see a far more volatility in the years to come. Weather and political shocks will impact on production and consumption levels. Let’s give our farmers the right tools to ride the highs and lows of the market.

“We want to see the right investment framework at farm level, including changes to existing tax rules to encourage investment in farm infrastructure. We must have a cohesive and realistic strategy to eradicate bovine TB, free from political interference and with a long term funding mechanism.”

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830981

e: rachel.stretton

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @DorsetEchoRach