Will anybody sign the petition to bring back the Milk Boards

[westwards]

Archived Petition: Reintroduce the Milk Marketing Board

The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) up until 1994 controlled the production and distribution of Milk. Since its abolition Dairy Farmers have been subjected to one sided contracts in favour of the processors & packers. The re-establishment of the MMB will help create a fair trade market place.

petition.parliament.uk

Just asking with all the talk about contracts just now, I dont think they will make the market fair or even for all producers.

Is this the answer ?

 

[lazy farmer]

I won’t

 

[Yazzie]

Yes already done.

 

[dinderleat]

Nope

 

[delilah]

It isn't the abolition of the milk board that has eroded dairy farmers position in the marketplace. It is the ever fewer buyers, with ever greater power, ie the concentration of market share within the processors. Which is a direct and inevitable response to the concentration of market share within the retailers. If you want to raise a petition, raise one calling for legislation on market share. Otherwise there is no reason why milk will not continue its inexorable move towards the same position as pig and poultry.

 

[betweenthelines]

Too many greedy b*stards who would go to whoever paid them .1 ppl more killed the milk market. Divide and rule by the processors.

Now, so many sellers seem too scared to kick up a fuss.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Too many greedy b*stards who would go to whoever paid them .1 ppl more killed the milk market. Divide and rule by the processors.

Now, so many sellers seem too scared to kick up a fuss.

And this is why I would never sign.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Too many greedy b*stards who would go to whoever paid them .1 ppl more killed the milk market. Divide and rule by the processors.

Now, so many sellers seem too scared to kick up a fuss.

i find that very harsh people move buyers foe a better milk price... you’d surely be doing yourself a huge disservice if you didn’t move when a perceived better contract came along. If in the long term it backfires then that’s the risk you take it hardly makes you a greedy b*stard.

 

[dairyrow]

I think we'd be better making a brand across. A range of products dairy, meat, vegetables and whatever i've missed out. Find ways of processing it for different markets using the brand and maybe some biodigesters to take out the surplus into energy and compost or fertiliser.
The only thing you can do with customers would be for farmers to buy shares in supermarkets and put a farmer on the board for primary producer conscious. This is where the farmers unions could make a huge in road for the better.

 

[Moors Farmer]

Just out of interest, I'm wondering whereabouts the pro mmb people think the price should be set?
And, more importantly, how it should be set?

Signed

A greedy b*stard.

 

[vantage]

No, I like my coop.

 

[jackrussell101]

@Will Blackburn @Moors Farmer aren't you both on aligned contracts, you might think differently if you had had the awful prices that some have been unlucky to receive...

 

[Farmer Keith]

For the record I’d never sign it, Arla supplier here but not always had it good, such is life, and I wouldn’t of signed it back then either.

We also keep a few sheep here, so I’m fortunate enough to supply the Wool marketing board, a marketing board is no guarantee of a price that covers COP.

Just out of interest would it even be possible to restart the Board? Where would all the cash come from to buy the tankers, the processing facility’s, hire the staff etc etc etc??

 

[delilah]

The only thing you can do with customers would be for farmers to buy shares in supermarkets and put a farmer on the board for primary producer conscious. This is where the farmers unions could make a huge in road for the better.

Stay close to your friends, and closer to your enemies.
It is sound advice. Advice that the supermarkets heeded years ago when they said to the NFU "can we be members".
To which the NFU replied "No problem, so long as you pay enough".
'Enough' being rather more than it costs a farmer to belong to the NFU.
Which is precisely why the NFU will represent farmers best interests, right up to the point where it may upset their affiliate members.
He who pays the piper.

 

[betweenthelines]

Just out of interest, I'm wondering whereabouts the pro mmb people think the price should be set?
And, more importantly, how it should be set?

Signed

A greedy b*stard.

Oddly enough in these days of "Don't know what they'll pay for my milk next month till half way through this month" MMB were able to print a price schedule at least 6 months in advance!

None of this bollix about bulk cream prices/potter forecasts/spot price falling/world market in decline/stick a finger in the air and make a guess etc etc.

Dairies knew what the had to pay the MMB, retailers knew what they had to pay the Dairies and the public were happy with the prices they paid in shops.

 

[lazy farmer]

I’ve said it before but it bares repeating.
always fighting for last place on the European league table with Ireland.

 

[Will Blackburn]

@Will Blackburn @Moors Farmer aren't you both on aligned contracts, you might think differently if you had had the awful prices that some have been unlucky to receive...

I’ve spent too much time getting rubbish milk cheques from a coop to go back. Basically it’s down to getting a local decent processor.

 

[Fedupfarmer]

No

 

[jackrussell101]

I’ve spent too much time getting rubbish milk cheques from a coop to go back. Basically it’s down to getting a local decent processor.

Fair enough but I bet you've been aligned for a good 10 years or more. I'm not saying that it's your fault, it would be ridiculous if I suggested it was, but you have to feel some sympathy towards those new entrants who are trying to make their way in the world and have become beholden to a rubbish milk price, completely through no fault of their own, whereas those established privileged businesses that are aligned are romping away and laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[jackrussell101]

Used to be the way a young man could get going with a herd of cows and make his way in the world, not nowerdays, completely shut up shop.