Milk Price Tracker

[som farmer]

320000 litres off of 4 farms failed to keep their cell count below 250.
So lost their 1.5p in September. Out of 142 supplying farmers.
Not really sure how this is the processors fault the target is generous and the penalties well known ??????

it's not the processors fault, at all, everything is, as quoted, it is the difference, between contracts, i was referring to, plenty of yellow colouring on the league table, so a proportion of milk is 'cheaper', plus the difference in price, from highest to lowest, in that league table, suggests, some farmers, are not producing the required constituents, and therefore receive a lower price - my neighbour, on his contract, only gets deductions, for under 3.5% fat, and naff all for over that.
What i was trying to emphasis, is, headline price, isn't the only thing to consider.

 

[betweenthelines]

Both liquid and manufacturing prices are just UK standard calculations so.....



.....of course all buyers will have different ways of penalising prices ie SCC, bacto, EODC etc if you don't hit the above spec.

How do the buyers justify these "fines"?

Farmer A is top band for everything, but farmer B next door has deductions, yet it all goes in the same tanker, then into one of 3 or 4 silos at the factory, and is all treated (processed) as one.

I can see the reasons for banding prices based on bacto etc, but not to the amounts quoted above-and FPD test is rubbish anyway as milk direct from the cow can fail.

 

[Surface Tension]

How do the buyers justify these "fines"?

Farmer A is top band for everything, but farmer B next door has deductions, yet it all goes in the same tanker, then into one of 3 or 4 silos at the factory, and is all treated (processed) as one.

I can see the reasons for banding prices based on bacto etc, but not to the amounts quoted above-and FPD test is rubbish anyway as milk direct from the cow can fail.

Personally I think it is a way of maintaining or increasing headline milk prices, so the more severely you hit those that don't hit the top bands the more buyers are able to increase 'standard' litre prices.

Looks good in the milk price league tables but nothing noticeable in terms of the quality of the end product, although if they are really lax on bacto/SCC there will be a definite difference in the shelf life and quality of the product.

 

[pappuller]

How do the buyers justify these "fines"?

Farmer A is top band for everything, but farmer B next door has deductions, yet it all goes in the same tanker, then into one of 3 or 4 silos at the factory, and is all treated (processed) as one.

I can see the reasons for banding prices based on bacto etc, but not to the amounts quoted above-and FPD test is rubbish anyway as milk direct from the cow can fail.

yes but if farmer a lets his standards go because farmer b doesn't get penalised for his lesser quality milk then the overall average quality of milk reduces surely ?

 

[Sid]

How do the buyers justify these "fines"?

Farmer A is top band for everything, but farmer B next door has deductions, yet it all goes in the same tanker, then into one of 3 or 4 silos at the factory, and is all treated (processed) as one.

I can see the reasons for banding prices based on bacto etc, but not to the amounts quoted above-and FPD test is rubbish anyway as milk direct from the cow can fail.

Fat and protein effects price in either cream or cheese yields vastly.

Bacto and Scc affects quality of products as does therms and coliforms.

Then you get into chlorates and other chemicals.

Sounds simple, just put a few deductions in to gain some cash for the buyer. Doesn't work like that I have seen and tasted products that have not made the grade and it can be a costly business!

 

[betweenthelines]

Fat and protein effects price in either cream or cheese yields vastly.

Bacto and Scc affects quality of products as does therms and coliforms.

Then you get into chlorates and other chemicals.

Sounds simple, just put a few deductions in to gain some cash for the buyer. Doesn't work like that I have seen and tasted products that have not made the grade and it can be a costly business!

But, like I said, it all goes in the same tanker and the same silo at the Dairy, so it all gets treated the same, no extra processing for "lower quality" milk And it's all pasteurised. There's no separate bottling line for high SCC milk!

You don't see grade 1 and grade 2 milk or cheese for sale, do you?

Looks to me like a prime example of quality (or lack of) just being another stick to beat the farmer with.

 

[farmboy]

But, like I said, it all goes in the same tanker and the same silo at the Dairy, so it all gets treated the same, no extra processing for "lower quality" milk And it's all pasteurised. There's no separate bottling line for high SCC milk!

You don't see grade 1 and grade 2 milk or cheese for sale, do you?

Looks to me like a prime example of quality (or lack of) just being another stick to beat the farmer with.

if everyone’s milk was high SCC it probably would affect quality.

 

[som farmer]

if everyone’s milk was high SCC it probably would affect quality.

when we re-started milking here, we sold to a very local cheesemaker, paid on fat/ protien, nothing else mattered, bacto, cc, no problem, i was told, a high cc milk, produced more kg of cheese ! Not surprisingly, they gave up making their own cheese, but had been making it for 40/50 yrs. So for processed foods, does it make a difference ? Farmers get deductions, but the milk, still makes cheese, or whatever. Liquid is a different market. I do not condone those figures!

 

[Sid]

But, like I said, it all goes in the same tanker and the same silo at the Dairy, so it all gets treated the same, no extra processing for "lower quality" milk And it's all pasteurised. There's no separate bottling line for high SCC milk!

You don't see grade 1 and grade 2 milk or cheese for sale, do you?

Looks to me like a prime example of quality (or lack of) just being another stick to beat the farmer with.

Ever had a pizza? Ever had a product that contains cheese as a lower proportion of ingredients.
Do you think they use top grade highest priced cheese aged cheddar?

What do you think effects cheese yields?

if everyone’s milk was high SCC it probably would affect quality.

As above 100% spot on.....but it's just a stick

 

[Sid]

when we re-started milking here, we sold to a very local cheesemaker, paid on fat/ protien, nothing else mattered, bacto, cc, no problem, i was told, a high cc milk, produced more kg of cheese ! Not surprisingly, they gave up making their own cheese, but had been making it for 40/50 yrs. So for processed foods, does it make a difference ? Farmers get deductions, but the milk, still makes cheese, or whatever. Liquid is a different market. I do not condone those figures!

No difference but gave up?
Why?

 

[som farmer]

No difference but gave up?
Why?

why do you think ! Just basically faded out,, retail buyers wanted more 'welfare', kit was old, to much money spent etc. But, when we restarted, it was a godsend, mean't we could increase, with cheaper cows, and it got us going. Our bacto's were well within, 20/30 range, CC sort of between 3/400, but that steadily came down, 2 farms, av over 1000cc, and high bacto ! Of those 2, one couldn't get a contract, the other had to 'pre-test' before pick-up !

 

[Sid]

why do you think ! Just basically faded out,, retail buyers wanted more 'welfare', kit was old, to much money spent etc. But, when we restarted, it was a godsend, mean't we could increase, with cheaper cows, and it got us going. Our bacto's were well within, 20/30 range, CC sort of between 3/400, but that steadily came down, 2 farms, av over 1000cc, and high bacto ! Of those 2, one couldn't get a contract, the other had to 'pre-test' before pick-up !

Legally that milk could not have been picked up.
SCC 3 month geometric average has to be below 400.

 

[coomoo]

Is it all that difficult forgetting price and profitability. Healthy cows clean milk surely that’s the easy bit.

 

[jimmer]

We all know it makes only a small % of difference overall due to mixing of different farms etc
But the standards are what they are, they are perfectly achievable
Those hitting top bands and targets will be benefiting from better herd health and a cleaner on farm environment
Those not always seem to have an excuse

 

[Coews4life]

Is there many other manufacturing contracts that only sample 4 times per month ? We're with yew tree and are asked to pay if we want every collection sampled, dont think that's fair when the price relies on your quality but it's only sampled 4 times in a month

 

[Big_D]

Is there many other manufacturing contracts that only sample 4 times per month ? We're with yew tree and are asked to pay if we want every collection sampled, dont think that's fair when the price relies on your quality but it's only sampled 4 times in a month

First Milk manufacturing is 4 tests per month

 

[Coews4life]

It'll be £94 per month to be tested each collection, dont no if It'll be worth it

 

[Sid]

It'll be £94 per month to be tested each collection, dont no if It'll be worth it

Worth every penny IMHO

 

[Headless chicken]

It'll be £94 per month to be tested each collection, dont no if It'll be worth it

seems expensive testing. Ours cost us half that as every day sample. We’re only paid on 4 samples but you have a case to argue if you see the results

 

[Farmer Keith]

It'll be £94 per month to be tested each collection, dont no if It'll be worth it

how much milk do you send?