M&S aims to reward milk producers for welfare

IN THE latest moves linking up milk producers with major retailers, M&S will from next month become the first UK retailer to introduce a milk payment scheme that not only takes into account the costs of production, but also rewards farmers for their animal health and welfare standards.

As part of the deal, the supermarket will also link the price paid to its farmers to its retail price for milk.

Commenting on the scheme, Paul Willgoss, M&S head of technology, said it would give producers an incentive to have "the highest levels of animal health and welfare".

The benefit for M&S would come with their customers enjoying the milk "safe in the knowledge that it comes from farms with the highest standards".

The scheme, called Milk Pledge Plus, also takes into account the M&S retail price.

One of the six M&S suppliers in Scotland, Lanarkshire dairy farmer Ian Smith, described the scheme as one that rewarded the investment in animal health and welfare.

He said: "This is a huge step forwards and something we are very excited about.

"It is vitally important to the future of our business that we make sure our cows are healthy and reared to the highest welfare standards, so that we can continue to produce quality milk.

The animal health and welfare scheme was worked out by an in-depth independent review of the farms supplying fresh milk to M&S.

The retailer also ran a series of consultation meetings for all of its farmers to ensure they were happy with the new scheme.