Farming
By Alec Ross
NFU Scotland has expressed its concerns over the impact on around one hundred dairy farms following the announcement that major milk processor Muller is to purchase West Lancashire-based Yew Tree Dairy.
Milk Committee chair Bruce Mackie said: “This is a major rationalisation within the dairy sector and will affect a significant number of dairy farmers across Scotland. Any contraction of available milk purchasers is a concern as competition for milk, particularly in more remote milk fields, is an important factor in not only securing a fair price but maintaining dairy production in all parts of Scotland.
“Our imminent meeting with Muller will allow us to seek clarification on contractual and collection arrangements as well as a timescale for the change taking place. We would also seek more information on the planned investment by Muller in the Yew Tree site at Skelmersdale and whether that brings opportunities for Scottish milk.
“What we do know is that affected producers will be issued with new contracts and that these will be amongst the first to be issued under the new statutory arrangements for milk contracts, recently agreed by Parliament and which come into force across the UK in July.
“On behalf of affected milk producers, we will be looking to the companies to quickly set up support helplines and producer meetings to answer the many questions that affected dairy farmers will have. A sudden change in milk purchaser and contractual arrangements is always a time of worry. Many will also point to Muller’s decision to walk away from Aberdeenshire in 2019 and we will be seeking cast iron reassurances on its commitment to producers in that area who are now supplying Yew Tree”.
Round-up
Lambs continued to meet with demand at Newton Stewart yesterday, averaging 396p/kg or £181/head and selling to 449p/kg for Beltexes from Kildarroch. Heavier lambs sold to £209/head for Suffolks from High Barness, while hoggs sold to 327p/kg or £172/head for Lleyns from Risk. Cast sheep were also in demand as tups sold to £172 for a Texel from South Clutag and a Dutch Spotted from Dunkeld, with ewes peaking at £172 for a Bluefaced Leicester from Claughrie. And Drumflower sold the best of the Blackies at £126/head.
Ewes with lambs at foot met with strong demand at Dumfries yesterday, selling to £120 for a five year old Texel from the Dabbins, while prime lambs rose on the week to peaks at £188/head for Meikle Kirkland or 437p/kg for Maryfield. And cast sheep sold to £278 for a Texel ewe from Drumjop and to £176 for a tup of the same breed from High Cairn.
Tuesday saw Harrison and Hetherington holding their fortnightly sale of store cattle at Lockerbie. Topping the sale at £1,660 was a Limousin bullock from Purdomstone, while Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold to £1,010 Waterhead of Dryfe who also topped the Hereford section at £990.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here