Import of: D:WebProjectsFarmersWeeklyAdminFP01Archive131006NF_Busine.txt

JOURNAL : Farmers Weekly
SUBJECT : Business briefs
AUTHOR : Business
SECTION : Business
ISSUE DATE : 13/09/06
PAGE NUMBER : 1
COPYRIGHT : Free Reuse

TEXT: in brief…
Select Farm success
Waitrose has just relaunched the milk brand sold in its 181 stores to celebrate the success of its Select Farm Scheme. The scheme has been running for six years and pays its 70 farmer suppliers a 3p/litre premium in return for level supply and higher standards. The relaunch will be supported by new labelling featuring participating farmers.

First Milk acquisition
Members of dairy co-op First Milk have voted overwhelmingly to support plans to acquire Dairy Crest’s supermarket own-label cheese business.
At a meeting near Worcester on Wednesday (11 October), almost 92% of members voting endorsed the proposal to acquire Dairy Crest’s dairies at Aspatria and Haverfordwest, as well as cheese-packing and whey plants in Wrexham, for £61.9m.
First Milk chief executive Peter
Humphreys said: “This is an important first step in transforming First Milk into the kind of successful farmer-owned business that has thrived overseas.”

Pocketbook’s 40 years
The John Nix Farm Management Pocketbook is celebrating 40 years as the bible of farm management.
Published this month, the 37th edition provides updated budgeting information, including labour, grants and land prices.In the first edition, winter wheat fetched an equivalent of £25.40/t, while milk fetched 3.3p/litre.
Comparing today’s profits with those first published in 1966, Prof Nix said farmers have to cope with rises in input costs, driven by high energy costs, “just to stand still”.