Coop to Leave Dairy Farming

Archived

Tuesday, 04 November 2003

The Coop is to get out of dairy farming, according to a report on this morning's Farming Today. It is the largest farming group in Britain and produces 20 million litres of milk a year but is now finding it uneconomic.
Nick Everington of the British Association of Dairy Farmers was also on the programme. He said that many dairy farmers in the UK were working a 70-hour -week for around £2.90 an hour - less than the minimum wage.

Last year, 1700 dairy farmers left the industry - about ten per cent and yet 40% of our cheese is imported because Australian and New Zealand products are more competitive. Mr Everington sited our exceptionally high hygeine requirements as one of the possible reasons for this.
The Coop will continue to make doorstep deliveries.
Source: Radio 4