NBA supports dairy farmer protests – and asks for a fair price for all farm produce
The National Beef Association (NBA) is hugely supportive of the action being taken by the nation’s dairy farmers in their fight to secure a fair milk price that covers the cost of production and allows businesses to invest for the future.
Amongst all the successful and highly justified support of the dairy crisis, from the national media to celebrity chefs, the NBA also asks that attention to given to other sectors, as it is not just dairy farmers that are being pushed by rising input costs.
Hamish McBean, NBA Chairman, says: “It has been tremendous to see how united the dairy sector is at this time, and the success they are having on the back of the excellent media coverage of their plight. The processors and retailers will have a tough time justifying their stance when their own customers are saying they do not want to see dairy farming threatened by supermarkets keeping prices down.
“The NBA is 100% behind the dairy industry, but would also like to highlight the pressure on other sectors too. It is easy to assume that the upward move in beef prices over the last year or so is guaranteeing a more positive future for beef farmers, but the cost of production is rising too, making margins tighter and tighter.
Joanne Pugh, NBA Assistant Director, says: “We appreciate the pressure on processors and supermarkets to provide affordable food, but offering farmers less than the cost of production is not the solution. The marketplace must offer a fair return to beef producers, and indeed all farmers, to ensure a sustainable industry.”
