Dairy farmers must be paid more if the industry is to survive, according to the Dairy Coalition.
It has told dairy buyers, processors, retailers and the food service sector they must pay farmers better returns to secure a sustainable supply.
The coalition was formed during the dairy crisis last summer and comprises the National Farmers' Union (NFU) heading seven other industry organisations. They met yesterday to discuss dairy market issues and future strategy.
The group has called for urgent and meaningful farm-gate price rises from April 1, to ensure a realistic market price, saying challenges of poor weather, infertility and feed shortages mean that farmers can only respond to demand for more milk if they are paid a proper price.
NFU dairy board chairman Mansel Raymond said world dairy auction statistics showed significant price rises, with all products up 14.8% on the previous month, demonstrating that global demand was strong and supplies tight. "Yet the average UK farm gate milk payment for January was exactly 30p per litre," he said. "For UK dairy production to have a sustainable future, the only way these prices can go is up."
