The Farmers' Union of Wales is urging Tesco to back Welsh dairy farmers by committing to a minimum farm gate price of 28 pence per litre for cheese purchased from First Milk and South Caernarfon Creameries.
Following a meeting with industry representatives earlier this month, Tesco agreed to consider a minimum farm gate price for cheese.
“There has been a great deal of emphasis placed on liquid milk recently and we welcome moves to raise the price paid for standard milk. However, around 80 percent of the milk processed in Wales goes into cheese production and the opportunities to provide Welsh dairy producers with better prices has therefore been limited,” said FUW milk and dairy produce chairman Dei Davies.
“A commitment by Tesco to minimum cheese pricing would therefore provide a level of support to Welsh producers that liquid initiatives simply cannot do and would be a great boost for the sector.
“At the same time, it is imperative that consumers are confident in the origin of the cheese that they are buying and the FUW would also like to see Tesco agree to a single country of origin label on cheese. This way, consumers can trust that the cheese they put in their basket is British,” added Mr Davies.
A decision is due to be made on this matter shortly and the FUW would urge Tesco to build on the progress already made and demonstrate a commitment to hard working Welsh producers by paying a fairer price for cheese.