Mixed reception as NFUS widens its call for fairer milk price

NFU Scotland took its campaign for the introduction of a fairer milk pricing system to the Dairy Event in Birmingham yesterday but not everyone was convinced that it was the way forward.

Union milk committee chairman Kenneth Campbell described the status quo as not being an option as it had simply delivered poor milk prices, reduced production and allowed a growing trade deficit in dairy products.

For the past six months, the union has been meeting producers, processors and retailers throughout the UK on the need for a more formulaic system for pricing milk.

Campbell said he wanted “something that would deliver a fair, transparent, market-related price that is on level terms with prices being paid in Europe. A price that would give UK producers the confidence to move forward.”

However, David Cotton, chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, did not see the Scottish union’s proposals as the way forward.

He called it a “worthy of debate” before then condemning it: “We believe the union’s proposal for a transparent, market related pricing mechanism in to all dairy contracts is not the way forward simply because the market is already not working.

“Every milk purchaser has its own farmer group, and we believe it is the responsibility of that group to negotiate with its buyer.”

Campbell then pointed to the increasing pressure in European political circles for a better milk pricing system and claimed this was now being realised by processors and retailers in this country.

“Industry must wake up to the fact that there will be political solutions delivered at a European level to fix this.” While Cotton was cool on Scotland’s marketing proposals, he was warm in his praise for the proactive approach taken on animal health.

“We are continually urging Defra to take a leaf out of Scotland’s books. Scotland is light years ahead when it comes to endemic disease control.”