Control means good price

A MILK PRICE equivalent to 65p/litre might seem pie in the sky to most milk producers, but for Simon and Tim Jones it’s a reality.

The brothers, who farm 324ha (800 acres) on the Lincolnshire Wolds, began producing Lincolnshire Poacher cheese in 1992.

Initially, 1000 litres of milk a week from their 240-cow herd was turned into cheese. Now that figure is 30,000 litres and growing. “What we have done is take the business away from producing a commodity over which we have no control,” Tim Jones told delegates. “Instead, we are now in a situation where we have absolute control over everything, from managing the cows, through to cheese production and distribution and sales.”

While he concentrates on marketing the cheese, his brother Simon manages the cows, which average 9650 litres at 3.9% fat and 3.3% protein. Initially the cheesemaker, Simon Jones has now trained another employee to do the job, releasing his time to manage the herd.