BBC Milkman

[endeavour]

Overall an enlightening series for both farmers and joe public.. A word of warning to those looking to diversifying into processing in all cases seen there is the reliance of a buyer to take milk on weekends ,bank holidays and in varying amounts without that first hand buyer the picture is not so good, will we see a repeat of the recent Muller episode re vending machines , it is a problem to consider. Gareth overall hit on the major problems an ,average milk price unable to sustain many business both large and small ,,exacerbated by the divisive tactics of supermarkets and major non farmer owned buyers. Will this situation continue unabated until the manufacturing milk is not available to balance liquid processing . This overall depends on supply and our ability to produce food at world market prices , I do not consider the situation beyond repair but rationalisation is inevitable and more casualties along the way...

 

[rc mx110]

Seimon is still farming and getting a better price now so looking better [emoji106]

Is it true the brand new parlour/set up they put in a few yrs before the rotary is still sat idle?

 

[Greenbeast]

Really enjoying this, the farm at the end of Ep3 just reminded me of us, getting your products onto the local shops shelves and seeing joe public buy them is immensely satisfying.

I just hope the program hits home with average consumers.

 

[rc mx110]

As good as the 3 programs were, it was not mentioned once (I don't think) why the milk price crashed last year. Oversupply! which is why sympathy was in sort supply for the larger dairies featured in epesode 2

 

[Greenbeast]

As good as the 3 programs were, it was not mentioned once (I don't think) why the milk price crashed last year. Oversupply! which is why sympathy was in sort supply for the larger dairies featured in epesode 2

although he did say that however big you are, you aren't immune, so perhaps bigger isn't necessarily better (which a lot of people feel in all farming sectors)
Bigger can't start supplying their local shops with milk, butter and cheese and turn things around, etc...

 

[Martyn]

Great great program, well balanced and refreshing to watch as a small family dairy farmer, thank you for telling the truth to our consumers.

 

[Old Boar]

Da iawn, Gareth - a very clear explanation of the whole sorry mess. I got out when the quotas hit, and found a new way to make the farm pay.
I know a number of people producing cheese, including Carwyn (a good guy) at Caws Cenarth, and John at Caws Teifi, people producing goat cheese, people producing ice cream from their Jersey herd, and indeed Rachels Dairy, who starting by producing butter due to a snowstorm in 1982. They all have worked incredibly hard, gone through tough times, and I can bet there were tears and sleepless nights to get where they are today. They had one advantage, the market for this was new and there was room for them to expand. This is not true today, which makes it much tougher to find a niche in the market for anything.
It would be lovely to have lots of smaller farms, growing their own fodder, and producing something of high value that is needed, and I am sure the countryside would be richer for this. Unfortunately I think the opportunity and time has passed for many.
Dioch Gareth for bringing this to the forefront - keep going, we need you!

 

[Steevo]

although he did say that however big you are, you aren't immune, so perhaps bigger isn't necessarily better (which a lot of people feel in all farming sectors)
Bigger can't start supplying their local shops with milk, butter and cheese and turn things around, etc...

There's also the myth that the bigger you are the more efficient you are.

 

[Ioan annwyl]

Enjoyed the programmes so far keep it up Gareth, Wales need you! You're the ideal replacement for the late Brinley Williams.

 

[1GarethWynJones]

You must always keep it as simple as possible the Milk industry was a mine field of contracts and different problems , and over production was mentioned in episode 2 , we are trying our best to produce a watchable programme with an educational background without being boring . And end goal is to help the dairy farmers get a fair price for what they produce, 2 much negatively will never sell or really help anyone

 

[Enry]

You must always keep it as simple as possible the Milk industry was a mine field of contracts and different problems , and over production was mentioned in episode 2 , we are trying our best to produce a watchable programme with an educational background without being boring . And end goal is to help the dairy farmers get a fair price for what they produce, 2 much negatively will never sell or really help anyone

The problem is that when we overproduce, locally, nationally, EU wide, and globally markets will fall or crash and prices will fall as they did spectacularly last year. Retailer aligned contracts protect those on them, but market forces prevail (unfortunately / fortunately) for the rest - what is a "fair" ex farm price - and more importantly in an oversupplied marketplace, who pays it?? I believe Mr Potter has covered the issue of supply and demand. We produce a product sold into a marketplace, romanticising about the past won't put it right, it will all be about efficiency and the ability to deal with the cycles going forward. Efficiency may or not mean bigger, bigger units have different issues, eg staff, but I fear smaller units will struggle to keep up with all the stuff coming our way re carbon, antibiotics, nitrates, phosphates, etc etc etc. If these things push more out, prices will rise, expansion will happen, prices will fall.

 

[Steevo]

Seemed to me that the it was a pity to homogenise the liquid milk the one producer was doing.

I can see it costs more to produce it, but part of me wonders whether the shelf price being high is a contradiction on what dairy farmers say about their cost of production (I.e 25p or so) in the earlier programs.

A pity it showed the Spa shop rather than delivering to a restaurant for example too. Given that way they would have 100% control of the process to the end user, and capturing the value in the chain too without retailer margin.

Haven't been impressed by the former NFU economist chap throughout the programmes. Makes it sound like it's easy to set up an ice cream or cheese plant. No mention made that most farms have invested so much for low returns there is little left to start a new shiny business. Both money and time!

I'm curious to know what % of such businesses manage to keep trading too. Seemed many are only doing a small amount of the farms milk.

 

[Penmoel]

Haven't been impressed by the former NFU economist chap throughout the programmes. Makes it sound like it's easy to set up an ice cream or cheese plant

I think he left the NFU over 25 years ago

 

[Steevo]

I think he left the NFU over 25 years ago

Would explain a huge amount. It's a poor show they can roll him out with that title given the world has moved on, and things are out of date.

 

[RobFZS]

Would explain a huge amount. It's a poor show they can roll him out with that title given the world has moved on, and things are out of date.

He's changed his tune abit from a couple of years back when he mainly said you'll go bust if you don't go big.. then a few big farms went bust and he's calmed down now

 

[Penmoel]

He has earned a living on the back of that title for years

 

[Ballygreenan]

He's changed his tune abit from a couple of years back when he mainly said you'll go bust if you don't go big.. then a few big farms went bust and he's calmed down now

I don't know the guy personally and I know we shouldn't judge on first appearances, but he does come across as an R sole?

 

[Steevo]

Just looked him up again. You're right-1987-1995!!! That's almost 20 years ago!

http://www.seanrickard.co.uk/welcome/4560426250

 

[Ballygreenan]

Just looked him up again. You're right-1987-1995!!! That's almost 20 years ago!

http://www.seanrickard.co.uk/welcome/4560426250

Pretty much confirms my assumptions.

 

[Penmoel]

Just looked him up again. You're right-1987-1995!!! That's almost 20 years ago!

http://www.seanrickard.co.uk/welcome/4560426250

22 years Sorry I thought 25