Committee of the Regions: EC emergency package won’t resolve milk crisis
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has claimed that the European Commission has waited for the milk situation to become untenable for producers before announcing emergency measures. The new package, it argues, will still not tackle structural problems in the EU’s deregulated dairy sector. In April 2015 the CoR – the EU’s assembly of […]
NFU provides evidence to Efra Committee inquiry into dairy prices
Improved market transparency, development of risk management measures, more formal producer representation, fairer milk contracts and a review of UK processing capacity are urgently required to ensure a sustainable dairy industry going forward, according to the NFU. NFU dairy board vice chairman Michael Oakes and chief dairy adviser Sian Davies appeared before the first Efra […]
FUW calls for commitment to cheese pricing
The Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging Tesco to back Welsh dairy farmers by committing to a minimum farm gate price of 28 pence per litre for cheese purchased from First Milk and South Caernarfon Creameries. Following a meeting with industry representatives earlier this month, Tesco agreed to consider a minimum farm gate price for […]
The Prince’s Dairy Initiative recruits new farmers for its 4th Year
As the dairy industry continues to face unprecedented challenges, with many farmers being paid less than the price of production, the plight of the small family dairy herd is under threat. The Prince’s Dairy Initiative, now in its 4th year, aims to improve the long-term sustainability of the British dairy sector by offering free practical […]
Pregnant heifers culled in East Devon following TB tests
Twenty three heavily pregnant heifers from a closed East Devon organic herd have been culled after testing positive for TB during routine checks. The heifers were part of a 27-strong group belonging to the Clinton Devon Farms Partnership and were all due to give birth to their first calves within a matter of weeks. All […]
Arla Foods amba maintains milk price for September 2015
Following a period of milk price reductions, the Arla Foods amba on-account price will remain unchanged for September 2015 for its 13,500 owners, including 3,000 from the UK. Commenting on the decision, Ash Amirahmadi, head of milk and member services at Arla Foods UK, said: ”We are in a position to hold our milk price […]
Badger persecution does not reduce bovine TB risk in cattle
Illegal persecution of badgers does not reduce infection risk of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle and may play a role in maintaining epidemic hotspots according to researchers at Queen’s University Belfast. The Institute for Global Food Security collaborating with the University of Glasgow and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, found that illegal disturbance of badger […]
Visions graduates are top of their class
The Visions young sire testing programme, one of the most robust and successful genomic testing programmes in the UK, has been given a boost this week with the graduation of four new bulls. The well established programme, operated by Cogent Breeding Ltd, has produced many breed leading bulls that have made a big impact on […]
FUW welcomes ‘Milk for farmers’
The FUW has welcomed a move by retailer Morrisons, which will see the creation of a new milk brand designed to help struggling dairy farmers. The new ‘Milk for Farmers’ brand will cost an extra ten pence in store, with the extra money being passed back to those farmers supplying the co-operative Aria. “Milk prices […]
