Welsh farmer lobbies MPs over milk price cuts
Welsh dairy farmer Eifion Huws is lobbying MPs at Westminster today (Tuesday 16 April) about “imminent cuts” to farmgate milk prices for cheese contracts.
Mr Huws, who milks around 140 pedigree Ayshire cows at Penrhos, Bodedern, is a former chairman of the Farmers’ Union of Wales milk and dairy produce committee.
He plans to raise the issue with MPs during an Anglesey Day event at Porctulis House, Westminster, where MPs will be invited to sample local dairy produce from the island.
“Last year dairy farmers across the UK held noisy protests against the slashing of liquid milk prices by 2p/litre and the price being paid to those on cheese contracts is also under pressure,” said Mr Huws.
“These cuts will be disastrous for the Welsh dairy industry which is already suffering from low milk volumes following a major delay in the start of the spring grass growing season due to the recent cold weather. The future viability of this sector is under threat.”
Eifion Huws
“These cuts will be disastrous for the Welsh dairy industry which is already suffering from low milk volumes following a major delay in the start of the spring grass growing season due to the recent cold weather. The future viability of this sector is under threat.”
Retailers needed to reduce their profit margins and pass some of that money back down the supply chain to producers, he said.
Mr Huws’ plea comes a week after Farmers For Action chairman David Handley said immediate milk price rises were needed to stave off a repeat of last year’s SOS Dairy protests.
UK farmer owned co-operative First Milk also warned a price cut could be on the cards for cheese producers unless cheese prices rose.
Industry insiders warned the cut could be up to 2p/litre which would bring the manufacturing pool price on cheese contracts down to 26.9p/litre (currently 28.9p/litre).