This film is part of Free

West Country Dairy Farmers

Dairy Farmers in the South West review the new Price Review 

Current affairs 1965 2 mins

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Overview

Westward TV's Farming Today programme looks at dairy farmers in the South West. Mr Cruise produces up to 60 gallons or 273 litres of milk a day working 83 hours a week. A price review increases income by one penny per gallon or four and a half litres, this at a time when the price for milk is set by the Milk Marketing Board. Dairy farming is linked to high overheads and milk prices are an indication of the economy. The price of a pint or litre of milk matters.

The dairy industry suffers at the hands of the middleman. Supermarkets drive down prices for consumers and drive aome dairy farmers out of business. The fluctuating pound and global market price drops severely affects the sector leaving some milk cheaper than bottled water. The trend is a long term decline in farm incomes. The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) was founded in 1876 to aid dairy farmers. The milk sector has diversified driven by consumer demand for dairy free.