Local News CUMBRIAS DAIRY FARMERS FEARING THE WORST AS MILK PAYMENTS DELAYED Dairy farmers in Cumbria are struggling to see the end of a line of setbacks with some fearing the industry may not survive. The latest blow comes as First Milk, the UK’s largest dairy company, withheld payments to its suppliers for two weeks following what it says was a “year of volatility that has never been seen before” in 2014. Subsequent fortnightly payments will also be delayed meaning farmers are yet to find out when they will be repaid thousands of pounds for their milk. Conservative MP Sir Jim Paice, chairman of First Milk, said it was to build a “stronger business platform”. John Findlay, a dairy farmer at Culgaith and former county chairman of the NFU, said it’s come as shock to him and many other people. “The big problem is, we’re like anybody else – we’ve got direct debits, standing orders and bills to pay. It’s like me going to the feed supplier and saying I can’t pay you this month because of what’s happened. I just hope the banks are going to be supportive.”
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 08:56:27 +0000
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