Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Only a few dairy farmers having to discard milk
ONLY a small number of farmers have been forced to discard their milk due to HGV lorry driver shortages, the chair of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has said.
Peter Alvis said while the exact number of affected farmers is unknown, the RABDF believes it is limited to just a few.
“The HGV driver shortage is having an impact on the dairy sector, which has resulted in a small number of farmers having to dispose of their milk,” he said.
“It is hard to put a number on the exact number of farmers affected, but at the moment we believe it is only affecting a few producers. We are monitoring the situation and should farmers be experiencing issues we urge them to get in touch with us.”
Despite the limited number of cases, Mr Alvis warned even “minor knocks” can have a devastating impact on dairy farmers.
“As many dairy farmers do not make a profit on their milk or only a minimal margin, any minor knocks are felt very quickly”, he said.
It comes amid reports that dairy farmers have been forced to discard milk.
Mr Alvis, who is part of the Alvis family that run Lye Cross Farm at Redhill in North Somerset, near Bristol Airport, blamed the cases on the pandemic and the HGV driver shortage.
“The global supply chain hasn’t fully returned to normal following the pandemic, and the shortage of HGV drivers is now adding to this problem, which is why we are seeing such an impact”, he said.
He urged shoppers to avoid panic buying milk.
“That said, milk and dairy products are still making it through to the supermarket shelves, so it is important consumers continue to shop normally to avoid any shortage situations seen at the start of the pandemic when panic buying occurred,” he said.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) also said dairy was being discarded by farmers in isolated incidents.
It called on the Government to introduce a short-term Covid recovery visa to tackle the growing supply crisis.
“A short-term Covid recovery visa, alongside a permanent seasonal workers scheme, would be an effective and, frankly, vital route to help the pressing needs of the industry today”, NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw said.
“It would also give us time to invest in the skills and recruitment of our domestic workforce, helping to provide long-term stability so we can recruit the people we need to continue to deliver quality, nutritious and affordable food for the nation”, he added.