Farmer focus: Latest milk price drop as bad as foot and mouth losses

It was brought to my attention last week by our friendly agricultural merchant that the 10ppl drop in the price of milk multiplied across the whole country amounts to £100m a month.
When we all stop thinking about ourselves as individuals and look at the problem as a whole, it brings along with it a whole new scary dimension.
That means a staggering £100m is not being spent in rural communities around the UK.
And if we consider the fall in wheat and lamb, I suspect the £100m becomes £200m.
When that is multiplied up on an economic spending model it just about equates to the monetary losses of the last foot and mouth epidemic.
It is no longer the boy that cried wolf, there seriously is a pack of wolves heading for the countryside.
See also: Read more from our other livestock farmer focus writers
If a huge disaster took hold of Britain, who left would be of benefit? The answer of course is those who can produce the necessities of life.
The basic needs of all human beings are food and shelter, not investment banking.
So to all of you out there, get writing to your MPs, get your suppliers to write to their MPs and get this message out there.
Back with general farming matters, all but one of our Danish Reds have calved. They are doing well, with pure calves, and have realised a decent return.
The second-calver British Blue-cross calves have realised an excellent return.
A snag we hadn’t considered is their size compared to our Jerseys, in terms of fences.
The Danish Reds have a very strong maternal instinct and are able to walk through fences and clear walls (including the garden!) without too much trouble.
Recently we had a school visit from Middleham Infant School. It really opened our eyes to how far removed people are in terms of the knowledge about food production.
The children loved seeing how cows are milked and how the milk is made into ice cream. It was an excellent and rewarding afternoon.
The answer to most of today’s problems is education – let the adults of tomorrow know how our food is produced today.
Adrian Harrison farms 81ha in partnership with his father Maurice in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. He runs 130 pedigree Jersey cows with 70 followers. Milk is used to make Wensleydale cheese