Milk it

[Mark Bolam]

Not on milk Huck.

[HCR]

Milk might not technically be a loss leader, but the supermarkets do keep the price low to drag people in, so the effect is much the same.

 

Anyway, I see Morrison's and the Co-op have upped the price they pay. Is it enough though?

[skyhuck]

Milk might not technically be a loss leader, but the supermarkets do keep the price low to drag people in, so the effect is much the same.

 

Anyway, I see Morrison's and the Co-op have upped the price they pay. Is it enough though?

 

Morrison's upped it by 2p at first, but now 6p + help for struggling farmers.

 

But they have given no guarantee as to how long this increase will last for.

 

My neighbour (who is a mixed farmer, milk, beef and sheep) told me that Wiseman's have not dropped his price, they look at all his costs and only if your making sufficient profit did the drop the rate.

[skyhuck]

Not on milk Huck.

 

I knew a guy who ran a corner shop, he bought all his bread and milk form the supermarket, as it was cheaper than his wholesaler.

[gensetsteve]

Milk used to be one of tescos best profit streams. Its the same in most trades small individuals will get crushed by corporate giants. Large companies want to sell our kindling for £4 plus but want to pay pennies with us picking up the transport bill. I prefer to cut out the middle man and supply small business direct. But the advantage to kindling is it does not tend to go off like milk

[skyhuck]

When I moved here 22 years ago, my neighbour bottled a lot of his own milk, his wife and daughter both had milk rounds, the milk he did not bottle went to the MMB. (milk marketing board)

 

But people started buying their milk from the supermarkets, so the milk rounds dried up and the farmers had no option but to sell to the MMB, but then that was done away with and now its down to the farmers to try and get a decent price from one of the big buyers.

 

We as consumers are to blame really, we prefer the convenience of a super market, but once all the small shops are gone we may well wish we had supported them.

[Rob D]

We do Fairtrade for other countries farmers why not our own?

 

How about we all write into Tescos (if they do something all the others will follow) requesting a 'fairtrade pint of milk' where all they do is put the price up by 11p of full, semi and skimmed.

 

1p can go to Tescos for labelling. 10p then goes direct to the farmers.

 

It's a win win

 

 

• People can then choose to directly support diary farmers
  
• We can afford it
  
• Tescos get great PR
  
• It won't cost Tescos anything as we'll be paying!
  

 

 

 

 

A barrage of e-mails may help.

 

 

 

Tesco CEO e-mail address [email protected]

Also [email protected] and one to customer services [email protected]

 

 

 

 

I've done mine!

 

 

 

 

[skyhuck]

We do Fairtrade for other countries farmers why not our own?

 

How about we all write into Tescos (if they do something all the others will follow) requesting a 'fairtrade pint of milk' where all they do is put the price up by 11p of full, semi and skimmed.

 

1p can go to Tescos for labelling. 10p then goes direct to the farmers.

 

It's a win win

 

 

• People can then choose to directly support diary farmers
  
• We can afford it
  
• Tescos get great PR
  
• It won't cost Tescos anything as we'll be paying!
  

 

 

 

 

A barrage of e-mails may help.

 

 

 

Tesco CEO e-mail address [email protected]

Also [email protected] and one to customer services [email protected]

 

 

 

 

I've done mine!

 

 

 

 

 

The thing is fair trade prices are about allowing farmer in poor countries to feed their families.

 

Over here what do we decide is a far wage for the farmer?? 20K? 30K? 40K? 50k 100K?

 

Farmers with 50 cows make far less than those with 1500, how do you regulate who gets to sell their milk at fair deal price?????

[Rob D]

Farmers with 50 cows make far less than those with 1500, how do you regulate who gets to sell their milk at fair deal price?????

 

 

They (supermarkets) can sort out the details - the main thing is to show massive support for the farmers. If the shelf with the fairtrade milk is cleaned out everyday then the supermarkets will realise they're onto a winner.

 

Will the farmers get the increase? I'm sure they'll soon tell us if they don't

 

You can't try and make it perfectly fair Huck - the aim of this would be to keep some diary farmers in production. Look at systems out there that try and make things fair for everyone and take in all eventualities - they turn into monstrosities of red tape - which then use alot of the money to process the money.

 

Keep it plain and keep it simple - this is to keep diary in this country not to bring equality to all diary farmers.

 

 

 

[Rob D]

Here's a copy of my letter.

 

Dear Sir,

 

It’s a disgrace that the supermarkets are not supporting British Diary farmers and you are the leading UK supermarket. If you lead others will follow.

 

I suggest the following – Fairtrade milk for our farmers.

 

 

• Put the price of this milk up by 11p in full, semi and skimmed per pint.
  
• 1p goes to you for printing the label.
  
• 10p goes direct to the farmer who produced the milk with proof of this.
  
• 99.999% can afford to pay extra for our milk.
  
• You get fantastic PR for showing you are helping British farmers – PR which you can ‘milk’ (sorry!) in your telly adverts.
  
• We (the public) pay you the extra – it costs you nothing.
  
• We get to keep our diary farms in Britain.
  
• Part of the reason this country is in the mess it is is because we do not produce anything anymore. Help put a stop to this trend.
  

How hard can it be?

 

Regards,

 

Rob Dyer