24 April 2007, 15:56 PM
  • The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) want to raise awareness of the issues facing dairy farmers by organising the Great Milk Debate, a series of events which will take place around the country during the next weeks.

The Great Milk Debate launched on Tuesday 24th April in London with a discussion at the Local Government House in Westminster. The panel included Fay Mansell, NFWI chair, Peter Kendall, NFU president, Justin King, chief executive for Sainsbury’s and Rt. Hon David Curry, chairman of Dairy UK.

Ms Mansell says, “British dairy farmers are struggling to survive. Many WI members are farmers themselves, or have seen the impact that dairy farmers leaving the business has on their communities. We must take urgent action to halt the decline of dairy farming in this country and stop our communities and the countryside suffering as a result.

“The debate will give everyone from the farmer in rural Devon, to the London consumer who buys milk in a supermarket the opportunity to suggest how farmers, processors, retailers and consumers can all receive a fair deal.”

Mr Kendall adds, “Dairy farming is hugely important to Britain. Milk is a vital food staple but more than that dairy farming helps shape our countryside and underpins 1000s of jobs,

“However, on average three dairy farmers leave the industry every day as they lose the battle to make profit from producing milk in the face of low prices, rising energy costs and an unbalanced supply chain.”

In 1995, there were over 28,000 dairy farms in England and Wales. By the end of 2006, there were 13,000. A recent survey of dairy farmers’ intentions, conducted by the Milk Development Council, found that a further 16% plan to leave the business within the next two years and that production could fall by as much as 900 million litres.