The dairy industry is facing ‘unprecedented challenges’ which will impact consumers this winter, according to the Millbrook Dairy Company.
As one of the UK’s leading exporters and importers of cheddar cheese, there is an increasing disconnect between what UK buyers are looking to pay for cheese as opposed to the world cheese market.
David Evans, of the Millbrook Dairy Company, said that if the UK wants to keep Cheddar cheese on its shelves, then the retail buyers are now going to have to go above normal prices to stop this mass departure of exports and encourage more people to sell back into the home markets.
“It isn’t rocket science to understand that if cheese producers are being offered £200-plus per tonne more to export cheese, then that is where their cheese is going,” Evans said.
“Unfortunately, UK cheese buyers across the major supermarkets are not looking to pay more for cheese. But global buyers are willing to pay and that is where the market is going. We are importing less and exporting more, and that is leading to a growing issue in meeting demand here in the UK”.
The challenges impacting the sector start with the cost of production, and the increases seen in the last year have been massive.
“Everyone cannot fail to be caught up in the current cost-of-living squeeze. And the dairy industry is no different. In times gone by, the normal ‘supply and demand’ influences would prevail.
“Right now, farming – and the dairy sector – is in one of the most difficult positions it has ever been in… And there seems to be very little light at the end of a very long tunnel.”
The news comes as delivery service Getir are giving away free pints of milk as inflation is causing fuel prices to fall, making milk more expensive than petrol in some cases.
As a result, the ‘ultrafast’ grocery delivery pioneer Getir are getting the essentials to people in need by giving away free pints of milk to customers with every order that exceeds £20.
