Milk it

[HCR]

If dairy farms close down, what will the land get used for? Who will buy it when the farmer sells? Someone who thinks he can make a profit from the land.

 

So, factory dairies where the cows never see daylight or fresh food and identikit Barrett estates throughout the country. I'm more than happy to pay an extra ten bob a week to prevent this.

[Rich2484]

Skyhuck, what I mean is we all know the argument about farmers pleading poverty and they all drive nice new cars, but it's actually a bit of a minority and with them diversifying they would make very little.

 

The big earners in agriculture are arable farmers, dairy and meat farmers make very little.

 

So if the dairy farmers quit and move on what is next?

[Hodge]

I was just in the wind up with my remark about discos, reall though I think it's wrong that it costs the farmer more to produce milk than he sells it for, something should be done by the government. The problem is the super markets can buy it on from Europe I believe??

[easy-lift guy]

Skyhuck, what I mean is we all know the argument about farmers pleading poverty and they all drive nice new cars, but it's actually a bit of a minority and with them diversifying they would make very little.

 

The big earners in agriculture are arable farmers, dairy and meat farmers make very little.

 

So if the dairy farmers quit and move on what is next?

 

The government will step in and nationalize the dairy industry.

After all look how well it worked for your Automobile industry,

controlling the food supply might even work better.

easy-lift guy

Edited July 21, 2012 by easy-lift guy
Spelling

[HCR]

The government will step in and nationalize the dairy industry.

After all look how well it worked for your Automobile industry,

controlling the food supply might even work better.

easy-lift guy

 

I take it that was a joke, but just in case it wasn't...

 

NO!!!!!

 

The Tories are opposed to nationalisation and Labour hate anything rural.

 

It worked brilliantly for the banks though

 

And in all seriousness it would probably fall foul of EU laws as a measure equivalent to a quantitative restriction (i.e. an obstacle to the free movement of goods).

[easy-lift guy]

I take it that was a joke, but just in case it wasn't...

 

NO!!!!!

 

The Tories are opposed to nationalisation and Labour hate anything rural.

 

It worked brilliantly for the banks though

 

And in all seriousness it would probably fall foul of EU laws as a measure equivalent to a quantitative restriction (i.e. an obstacle to the free movement of goods).

 

It was a joke, leave business to business and the government can stay out of nearly everything else.

easy-lift guy

[Mike Dempsey]

I think that all european farm subsidies should be phased out completely over a 5 year period. Every family in this country pays a fortune to subsidise this business. The law of market forces should prevail. Some farmers will make a profit and others will go bust. I know of one local farmer not too far away who regularly picks up cheques for over £1million every year. A lot of that is for not producing anything. Think of all the time which would have freed up now they dont have to spend hours and hours filling in all those forms. No forms also means no fraud, and all the farming beaurocrats can be paid off win - win situation.

The prices in supermarkets will probably go up but thats good for about half the population who are obese, thereby saving the NHS money as well. If there are no farming subsidies the Government contribution to the EU can therefore be reduced, again win -win situation.

Farming is the only business that get subsidised to produce goods and also to not produce goods. How can that by any stretch of the imagination be good for our economy. Sorry about the rant but this is one of my pet hates.

BTW I am a Townie who likes the countryside.

 

Mike

[chrissishrimp]

As said in the news yesterday, 'if alcohol can have a minimum price surely milk can'

 

totally agree with this!

[Mark Bolam]

It's a disgrace what is happening to dairy farmers. The supermarkets have them by the nuts because their product is so perishable, they can't sit on it and wait for more money.

 

I don't understand why the price is worked down from the top?

 

Like RobD suggests, if milk costs 30p/litre to produce, and farmers were paid 32p instead of 27p, we would have to pay an extra 5p/litre, which I'm sure most of us would do, and the farmers could make a living.

 

The problem is the tossers in the middle creaming (sorry!) more than their share out of the 50p in the middle.

 

I appreciate the various costs involved in treatment, distribution and packaging, but the situation can't go on.

 

I don't think people realise just how close we are to losing our dairy herds for good.

 

Don't give me that 'all farmers are rich' bollocks, either. They might be if they sold all their land to Wimpey, but do we want that?

[Gnarlyoak]

I don't think there are many/any price supports - I think it is a simple case of it costs the farmers 30p per litre to produce and they get paid from the dairy 27p. I don't think diary farmers get subsidies do they?

 

 

The farmers can't just put their price up or the diaries would not buy any of their milk so I can see their position - they'll go out of business either way.

 

 

They just want a fair price for their milk - I'm happy to pay it - what is a few pence on a pint?

 

Muuhhh haahaahaahaaaaaa: Ladies & Gentlemen I give you the biggest and most expensive of all EU crackpot schemes..... The Common Agricultural Policy or CAP. The biggest percentage of all the billions and billions and billions of Europeans tax payer money, without exception, is squandered on subsidies to all of Europes farmers in all 27 EU member states!

 

I don't know how much is actually paid to British dairy farmers, but I''ll bet my next pay slip that they do receive something, although I'm sure if it was removed tomorrow, British farmers being some of the most efficient in Europe and the majority would survive and probably prosper, the French some of the most inefficient and subsidy dependent, their economy would collapse and there would probably be civil war. Certainly expect a tractor blockade and more British lamb burning at Calais docks!

 

That said, I do believe that the dairy farmers should be paid a fair price for their product, but when you look at the disparity between the retail price and the amount paid when it leaves the farmers gate, then I think the supermarkets and dairies have a lot to answer for! Next time the supermarkets post record multi billion pound profits, perhaps we should ask ourselves, at what price to the British producers of the goods they sold "cheap".