Bute farmers face double whammy
THE first Milk moves were met with shock and consternation by dairy farmers around the country, but particularly by those living on the Isle of Bute where the price for the milk they produce is likely to drop to 16p a litre.
NFU Scotland said that it was a “dark day” for Scottish dairy farmers supplying the co-op, adding that price cuts were a further blow to an already struggling industry.
The union said that the majority of Scottish suppliers to First Milk would see their prices cut by a further 0.2p per litre for June while those on the Island of Bute would see them slashed by 1.2p per litre.
“For those on Bute, it is likely that – after deductions are made for capital contributions to First Milk – their milk price will be around 16p per litre.”
NFUS president Allan Bowie said that the price for producers on the island had been most severely affected due to the costs associated with transporting milk off the island.
“For those on Bute, these savage cuts have simply strengthened our resolve to have Scottish Government support ferry transport costs immediately, rather than holding off for a review in the autumn.
“We hope the transport minister has an appropriate response when we meet in Holyrood.”
Returning to the overall cuts, he said that, while most producers understood that major restructuring often led to some pain, the creation of different payments across the country would not be easy to swallow.
He said: “Given that this is a co-operative, it will rankle with many Scottish producers the price differential now opening up between those supplying different parts of the First Milk business. Many Scottish First Milk suppliers are staunch, lifelong supporters of co-operation, with an expectation that pain and gain should be shared.”
The union revealed that it believed that a First Milk director would be visiting the Isle of Bute today to meet the island’s dairy farmers.