Dairy Crest drops milk prices paid

Dairy Crest in the UK has announced that it has had no alternative but to reduce the milk price it pays to around 575 of its farmers who don’t supply either its retailer milk pools or its Davidstow contract, by 2ppl from 1 May 2012. This reduction partially reverses the additional 3.95ppl Dairy Crest paid these farmers during 2011. Dairy Crest has confirmed it will maintain the leading price paid to the farmers who supply its Davidstow creamery – home of the leading Cheddar brand Cathedral City.

Mike Sheldon, group milk procurement director for Dairy Crest stressed that Dairy Crest remains totally committed to its 1,300 dairy farmers. He also explained the importance of the £75 million (€91.9m) investment programme within the dairies business, which had facilitated the consultation on the two site closures.