News

October 03, 2008

Wiseman Celebrates Fractional Relief For Dairy Farmers!

By Sally White

Farmers got a piece of good news this week – a badly needed one after a terrible summer. Tesco, which takes almost a billion litres of milk a year, is giving farmers a 0.5p a litre increase! That news also reflects improving trading conditions for Robert Wiseman Dairies, although the industry is calling for rises in pennies not in fractions! Farmers input costs have gone up by 34 per cent over the last year, and the appalling months of rain have taken a further toll adding to soaring feed, fertiliser, energy and machinery prices in pushing up costs.

Prices for milk have been stepping up. But the fact that a four-pint polybottle of milk, which cost 135p a year ago, is now 144p, that a pack of butter has gone from 88p to 106p and mild cheddar is now 708p a kilo against 524p, has not done that much to help farmers. The fight to get the major retailers to concede price rises has been a tough one and it is not yet over. The National Farmers’ Union in Scotland estimates that cost to farmers producing milk will need to rise by a further 3p a...