Milk for Farmers: Morrisons responds to 7 key questions
Farmers Weekly asked Morrisons seven questions about its new 10p/litre premium milk, which is says will help farmers.
Here are the unedited answers that Morrisons gave us in full:
Q. When will the premium milk be launched (we have been told October)?
A: It will launch in the autumn.
Q. How many cartons of milk do you project to sell on a weekly/monthly/annual basis?
A: Commercially sensitive information.
Q. What is the mechanism for ensuring the extra money goes to dairy farmers?
A: The premium will be paid to Arla and it will be for Arla to manage how their farmer-owners receive this. Â Â
Q. Will the premium be paid to farmers who supply their milk to Dairy Crest AND Arla? If so, how many dairy farmers in the UK will benefit?
A: Currently just Arla.
Q. Arla has told us the premium will be spread across all 13,500 farmers in its EU co-op. Therefore, won’t the impact be very limited?
A: It is up to Arla and its members to decide how the premium is shared.
Q. How much do you estimate that premium milk sales will benefit the individual dairy farmer who supplies Morrisons (albeit indirectly)?
A: One to ask Arla or farmer.
Q. Why hasn’t Morrisons introduced the pricing mechanism instead?Â
A: Commercially sensitive information.Â
Tell us what you think about the Morrisons milk move. Email your responses to philip.case@rbi.co.uk