More dairy farmers quit

A SHARP RISE in the number of dairy producers leaving the industry has been recorded by the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate.

Latest figures show 123 farmers quit in July, compared with an average of 77 a month in the first half of the year.

This takes the number of leavers close to the trend figure seen in 2003, when 129 farmers a month stopped milking.

In all, 1134 farmers have left dairying in the past 12 months, about 7% of the England and Wales total, slightly above the long-term trend.

NFU dairy adviser Emma Rutter said it was not clear whether July‘s increase was a statistical blip, or a real surge in producers leaving as more detail of CAP reform became known.

“It looks as though the remaining producers are able to fill the gap left by those leaving, both in terms of production and buying up cows.

“For the coming months, it seems total production is unthreatened.”