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from left to right – FUW senior policy officer Dr Hazel Wright with local AM Alun Ffred Jones and shadow minister for sustainable communities for Plaid Cymru, Llyr Huws Gruffydd AM[/caption]
Caernarfonshire members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales today (Monday January 19) discussed the current milk price crisis with local AM Alun Ffred Jones at FUW county branch vice chairman Tudur Parry’s farm at Pengelli Isaf, Bethel Road, Caernarfon.
Mr Parry farms 280 acres just outside Caernarfon, where he runs a herd of 125 currently milking Holstein Friesian cows, 40 replacement heifers are kept annually and around 80 stores are sold at livestock market. The family further keep a flock of 250 Suffolk X and Mule ewes, with all lambs sold on the hook.
The Welsh dairy industry continues to reel under months of continuing low prices and poor profitability and the union is extremely concerned that global dairy market price recovery may still be some way into the future due to a continuing global supply and demand imbalance.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Parry said: “The current low prices are unsustainable and the industry will see even more falls in producer numbers as even the most efficient producers struggle to survive in the current market.
“The decision by First Milk to postpone milk cheques by two weeks therefore comes at a time when many dairy producers are struggling following months and months of low prices and very poor profitability. The delay in milk cheques raises more general concerns about how best to deal with the volatility of the global milk market and its impact on the viability of Welsh dairy farms.”
FUW Caernarfonshire county executive officer Gwynedd Watkin added: “Welsh dairy farmers are amongst the best in the world yet milk continues to be devalued by our supermarkets. This is an injustice to those dedicated to the production of such a valuable product and we are thankful that we had the opportunity today to discuss the matter with our local AM.”