CAN BRITISH FARMERS ACCEPT THIS NFU RESPONSE NFU deputy president Tim Bennett has quit dairy farming and warned that processors risk triggering a mass exodus from the industry.Mr Bennett said processors should confirm an intention to pay realistic prices reflecting true on-farm production costs.Low prices, high labour and off-farm commitments had forced him to cease milk production at his farm near Carmarthan, he added. A failure to act could undermine Britain's milk supply base, Mr Bennett told Farmers Weekly. "Producers are at a crossroads. "Over the next few weeks many will reflect on whether signals from the supply chain suggest a viable future exists for their businesses."Mr Bennett's comments have special resonance following the failure in mid-August of United Milk's £40m factory at Westbury, Wiltshire.Dairy co-operatives remain locked in talks with the company's receiver in a bid to save the plant. Milk prices are failing to support production costs of about 20p/litre, said Mr Bennett. Producers are at a low ebb, and signals from the dairy processing sector this summer have not been encouraging."The supply chain has demonstrated a lag in passing the benefits of exchange rates and a stronger international market for dairy products back to producers. "These sort of inefficiencies can't be tolerated." If the autumn round of price negotiations between fails to extract a just milkprice, many producers will feel they have little choice but to quit, Mr Bennett warned. "I don't believe the processors realise how important their actions will be," he said."It is possible they may look back in a year's time and realise how short-sighted their actions were in capping an increase in the milk price."But dairy processors appear impassive.Jim Begg, director general of the Dairy Industry Association, insisted the sector was well aware of the need to secure profits at all points of the supply chain. "Dairy companies are fully aware of the pressure caused in the short-term by Westbury. "Price will, as ever, be settled by individual discussion between dairies and their milk suppliers and all market factors will be taken into account."Despite his departure from dairying, Mr Bennett said securing a fair milk price for producers remained a key concern.He is due to address the Dairy Event at Stoneleigh in September in his capacity as NFU deputy president.Mr Bennett said he planned to refocus the farm business, run in partnership with his wife, Susan, on running a suckler herd and producing store cattle.But he added: "I'm not ruling out returning to dairying in the future - we still have all the youngstock." Can British farmers accept this sort of response from the NFU it can hardly come from any higher within the national farmers Union. Many farmers will make the comment it's okay for him, he has his national farmers Union salary to rely on, but what about us, we have spent our lives working hard to build up our businesses, everything we own and more is invested within our farm, we can do nothing else. So where are they supposed to look to, for help. I am sure that no one blames Tim Bennett, taking the correct steps to save his business. However that option is not to open to many dairy farmers, they looked towards the national farmers Union, for help, after all where else can they go, some of the more angry younger and hopeful have joined the farmers for action, maybe Tim Bennett should join them this week, his action can only be in is his own response, to what he feels the national farmers Union, can do about milk prices. He must think this is nothing. Would he think the response was nothing, if David Handley, or Derek Mead, was the president of the national farmers Union, because most farmers around the country would expect a completely different way of handling this situation. Milk prices, because of the necessity from both an economic, a health and the practical insurance of a high quality product being in the hands of our own people, must be protected. Milk prices are vulnerable to Monopoly sales outlets, those few processer companies are restricted by the powers of their main customers. The national farmers Union has to break this deadlock, it's cannot break it by sitting on its hands, it has to get of its backside and join with the farmers for action. Once the government really understands, that there is a united front, from all of British agriculture,for these and similar matters, then will they make an effort to build a social contract between farmers milk processors and the Monopoly retailers. Farmers have this in their own hands; I personally would not like to be Tim Bennett when he stands up in front of them at the dairy event. What support will he get from his president, will he be standing shoulder to shoulder with him when they hear the despair off the average dairy farmer. I have a feeling that this will not take place, the UN Democratic leadership, always keeps its head down, they know that anger is soon dissipated, when they return to milk those cows. The anger leaves them but the despair remains. jn in despair for the silent majority.

Tim Bennett’s capitulation in milk production indicates clearly the thinking within the NFU. In essence , directly admitting they are incapable of and do not expect to, influence the minds of our buyers in getting our prices back to an acceptable and fair level. Bennett goes on to say “he has the young stock and may go back” - a limp remark to take the heat off. He is actually saying, if anything is to improve, it will certainly not be in the next two years. Can those that are left survive, with bank managers increasingly wearing deeper frowns?. Changes are needed in the NFU – attitudes need to change. This may be irrelevant but nevertheless -- One must always remember Naish as President of the NFU in October 1997 – in March 1998 he was on the Board of Express. Express Dairies was the main contributor to the break-up of our co-op hopes at the time of the demise of Milk Marque. Often history repeats itself. In a newspaper story this week, Tesco promises a reduction on 350 items throughout its stores claiming it will cost them £60m, BUT company director Tim Mason states “These price cuts focus on the essential items people buy every week. We’ve invested £1.2bn in reducing prices” . He then states “By reducing prices we increase volumes which help us buy for less”. We are at the end of the chain - need I say more?.

well said jack williams there are two of us now where are the rest of em fast asleep. jn for democracy within the NFU. the goverment need sharpening up on uk agricuture.thank god for tempary wheat shortfall and higher prices. Blair will win the battle to democratise IRAQ because he has courage. let british farmers show as much courage in telling Blair to reform the great milk robbery.he also had the balls to spend the uk out of trouble with foot and mouth. come home to yorkshire ben and let some one into the driving seat with bottle, OR GET OF YOUR ARSE AND TELL BLAIR WHAT A DISSASTER IT REALY IS FOR THE FABRIC OF THE UK

Dear John i am not a farmer, however could they not increase milk consumption, by giving it for free in schools and educating children not to consume so many soft drink with lots of sugar..........that are bad for them.

It was this kind of attitude from the then Scottish Crofters' Union that finished my membership and pushed me into FFA. At least David Handley still has balls! >Blair will win the battle to democratise IRAQ because he has >courage. WHAT????? the man's a poodle and a very good actor.... he'll NEVER democratise Iraq. All he's succeeded doing so far is to creat an even bigger bloodbath and seed yet more terrorism. >he also had the balls to spend the uk out of trouble with >foot and mouth. I don't believe I'm reading this????!!!! Joyce

JN I think your expectation that the NFU exists to fight for a better milk price is a bit niaive. Farmers are (or at least they should be) businessmen and it is down to them to make sure that their business survives during the troughs in the business cycle. Falling membership of the NFU suggests that many are realising this and cutting out an overhead cost (the sub) that is unlikely to provide a worthwhile benefit.

good morning ginger, I see the problems of farmers, as more complicated than that, some farmers are obviously very good businessmen, some farmers find themselves in positions were they are able to take advantage of their business like nature. But there are far more farmers, that are not in positions where good business abilities, other then working as hard physically as it is possible, and which is the nature of most farmers, being as frugal as possible, the majority of the United Kingdom farmers would not be farmers, unless they had been born into it, this does not preclude people farming who have not come from farming families, they are always welcomed as enthusiast's. There are thousands of farmers in tenanted farm situations, that are doing the job efficiently, but are still unable to cover the costs of their production, unless they have the opportunity to buy their own tenanted farms cheaply, their business abilities and opportunities are seriously limited. there are also thousands of young farmers how have borowed large amounts of money to buy farms, cattle milk quoa etc. their farms are not suited for any other type of production. The value of the small dairy farms may be going up in relation to private housing, but the value of their profit earning business, is causing them great worry, changing farming systems at the drop of a hat is difficult and costly. They do not wish to leave farming, why should they leave farming, the United Kingdom needs as many good stockmen as it can get, every other country in Europe does the best they can to protect its farming and rural population, but not England, our government's are still living on extremely outdated ideas. They used to believe that the United Kingdom could exist on its industry, now with ever-increasing amounts of manufactured goods coming in from China, they believe that the United Kingdom can live on the service industries, we obviously will not need any United Kingdom politicians, European civil servants will take their place. America is around $90 billion dollars behind its breakeven level. It makes this up by selling shares and properties and bonds, we shall soon be heading along the same lines, if we do not protect our own agriculture and industries as much as is possible. Europeans do it successfully and keep within the rules, is it beyond our politicians to find new ways of doing this. No it's not, and if Tony Blair cannot or will not, then someone else will soon be brought in that can. The national farmers Union needs to find an economist who believes in British agriculture, they have managed to find plenty that did not in the past, someone in the United Kingdom will have an economics degree, who has practical knowledge of agriculture, and can post up a sound case, for a strong British agricultural industry. It looks as though the potato growers will have a good year as there's a shortage in Europe, corn prices are heading towards a £20 lift due to shortages and currency revaluation. Livestock are recovering in value, following the disastrous slump caused by minute payments being made for older animals slaughterd for bse reasons. The drop in the value of these cattle was made by the labour party, when they came into power. It has been a massive blow, extremely unfair to British farmers, they were not responsible for bse, the previous government's incompetence was. It is my view that all politicians, are natural enemies, to United Kingdom Agriculture, they pay lip service to it, but they will only respond to severe pressure, which they have not had for six years, farmers for action have shown the way, but it is not possible for every farmer to leave his farm and take direct action, we have had the national farmers Union for one nearly 100 years, it is meant to look after farmers interests it is time it did. Jn for the silent majority