Positive talks held with major dairy producers
Following talks with Wiseman/Müller and other major dairy producers, dairy coalition leaders are confident farmers will regain some of the money lost after milk cuts in the spring.
Farmers for Action chairman David Handley and NFU president Peter Kendall held talks at Stoneleigh last Thursday (23rd August) with Ronald Kers, chief executive of Müller UK and Ireland Group. The talks are part of continuing discussions that Wiseman has been having with farming unions
Mr Handley commented after the talks: “It was a very robust meeting. There was a major commitment from Müller chief executive Ronald Kers that he wanted to work together to try and solve the problems of the dairy industry. We agreed we need to tear up what we have got and start with a clean sheet of paper and reform the way we buy and pay for milk; within that would be a cost-of-production formula.”
Farmers for Action has set Wiseman/Müller a deadline of seven to 10 days to return some of the money to farmers that was lost in during the spring milk price cuts in May/June.
A spokesman for Müller/Wiseman said: “We had robust but constructive discussions with the NFU and FFA and have committed to engaging with the Coalition on the relevant parts of its 10 point plan and other industry issues. We believe that it is time to start to move on from what has been a very difficult period for the dairy supply chain and we welcome discussion which helps to achieve this end.”
Mr Handley, Farmers for Action chairman, continued: “I would be very confident that farmers will be getting some money back on their milk cheques from 1 October.” However, Mr Handley said he was less confident that the voluntary code of practice on dairy contracts would be agreed in time for Livestock 2012 as Jim Paice, farming minister, had suggested.
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