APPENDIX 15
Memorandum submitted by the Women's Food
and Farming Union (Q20)
I understand that the Agriculture Committee is meeting
this week to discuss the "Marketing of Milk". The Dairy
Committee of the Women's Food and Farming Union are most anxious
that I present our views to your committee at this crucial point
of time in our industry.
Milk Marque has 40 per cent of the UK milk to dispose
of daily and currently has no major manufacturing capacity to
process any surplus. Conversely, other major dairy producing countries
in the world ie New Zealand, Australia and the USA all have large
fully integrated farmer controlled co- operatives. We must be
able to compete in the world market. Surplus milk goes into manufacturing
milk powder and butter which costs the UK dairies 4 ppl compared
to 2 ppl on the Continent. Something must be seriously wrong if
Milk Marque finds it more profitable to send milk abroad to process
than deliver to their local dairy.
There is a suspicion among dairy farmers that milk
buyers operate a "cartel" on buying policy, to bring
about the lowest purchase price for milk irrespective of returns
needed by farmers to produce that milk. Constraints on Milk Marque
can do nothing to prevent this, resulting in a "rat-race"
of farmers increasing production to cover overheads—(including
new hygiene, welfare and assurance schemes), to the detriment
of their health and well being.
Finally, no British dairy farmer wants to use BST
on their cows because of serious welfare implications ie stress,
mastitis and on top of which records would be distorted. At present
milk is seen to be pure and nutritious and we must keep it so.
It is also the cleanest and best in Europe and we are proud to
be part of the industry but at what cost? We envisage the demise
of the family farm and resulting decline in the rural economy.
I urge you to give these points your deep consideration.
14 June 1999
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