Milk price increasing but not enough!

"Current milk prices are slowly improving but nowhere near as much as they should be," that's the blunt message from NFU Cymru Pembrokeshire County Chairman, Perkin Evans, at this week's Pembrokeshire County Show.

Mr Evans, a dairy farmer from near Haverfordwest said, "When you consider that the current world commodity prices of cheese and skimmed milk powder have all gone up in July and milk production is significantly down on this time last year, it is about time dairy farmers saw significant increases in the price paid for their milk.

"Pembrokeshire is a dairy farming area and we must not forget that the farming industry holds the local rural economy together. Just look around the Showground today – it simply isn't the same without dairy cows; also sales of machinery and feedstuffs rely on the local dairy farmer. If dairy farmers can't make a living then that directly affects other local businesses," Perkin added.

"All the players in the milk supply chain need to realise that unless the milk producer is receiving a fair return for his product, then all the other parts of the supply chain, from co-operatives through to processors and on to retailers, are vulnerable," Mr Evans continued.

"As farmers we are all affected by the current restrictions put in place as a result of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey, but, let us not forget that another awful disease is equally as challenging for the farming industry and ravaging our local herds. Bovine TB dominates our lives in this part of the country and has the potential to become all consuming. NFU Cymru will once again raise the issue of eradicating this disease with the new Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, when she visits the NFU Cymru stand at the show on Wednesday."