UK calls for milk price rise to ease sector pressure

British dairy farmers are calling for the EU’s intervention price for milk to be raised from its current 21c per litre to ease pressure on the sector.

Former Commons deputy speaker, Nigel Evans, said UK farmers are facing a time of “deep uncertainty”, adding that dairy farmers have seen huge volatility in the price for milk over the last three years. “We’ve seen the number of farms drop from 35,000 to fewer than 10,000 now and it’s clearly a crisis,” said Mr Evans. “The time for action is now, otherwise it will be too late.”

Mr Evans said there was “something out of kilter” when milk was being sold for 89p (€1.20) for four pints. “Water is valued more than milk and that cannot be right,” he said.

However, UK Farming Minister George Eustice said analysts predict there could be “quite a strong recovery” in milk prices from the summer onwards.

“We are seeing a 2.5% growth in demand per year and the UK is well placed to take new opportunities in markets,” said Mr Eustice.

“We should also note that most analysts are now predicting a recovery in milk prices later this year, that’s farm gate milk prices.”