More spilt milk
IN some respects, the farming Minister David Heath is right to back his instincts and rule out compulsory legislation to ensure that milk producers receive a fair price from major supermarkets. This country has become bogged down by successive governments rushing to pass new laws without considering any alternatives, and the agricultural industry is no exception.
That said, Defra – Mr Heath’s department – did intimate that it would pass new legislation if supermarkets and milk processors did not honour a new code of conduct that was intended to halt the absurd situation where some farmers produce milk at a loss because of the financial grip that continue to be exerted by the major food chains.
Given that only one processor has signed up to this landmark code, Mr Heath’s appeal to the key players in this dispute to “turn fine words into real action” is likely to be greeted with scepticism and dismay in these parts. After all, “fine words” and intentions has still not prevented the big supermarkets from milking farmers dry.