The WI goes back into battle for milk sector

Mission Milk was launched on Tuesday by national WI federation chairwoman Ruth Bond, who joined NFU president Peter Kendall for a showcase debate, attended by movers and shakers of the industry.

A campaign pack is on its way to branches.

The WI's previous interventions helped bring supermarket bosses to the negotiating table, to give the UK milk business a little protection from the worst of the price cutting which has caused serious unrest on the Continent.

The WI's roots are in rural communities and farmers' wives got some branches active on the subject of milk prices 10 years ago.

In 2006, the WI's conference called for a national campaign which started with The Great Milk Debate in 2007 and helped push the big retailers into a competition to treat their own liquid milk suppliers a little better than the average.

Now the leadership of 207,000 WI members has decided it is time for a new offensive, with an emphasis on the importance of British sourcing for butter, cheese, cafe coffees, chocolate and other products derived from milk or milk powder.

Ruth Bond said: "Much has been achieved. However, much still needs to be done."

Mr Kendall said: "There is a growing and worrying split in the price being paid to those farmers fortunate enough to obtain a retail contract and those who cannot.

"It's vital that both retailers and processors also demonstrate a commitment to dairy farmers that produce cheese."

Stephanie Fort, a member of Bolton Abbey WI and of the national WI board of trustees, is married to a dairy farmer. She said this week: "The 2007 debate played a part in achieving fair pricing for dedicated suppliers. But farmers are still going out of business and we need to be working on coffee-shop chains, chocolate makers and so on."

David Shaw of Elvington, near York, dairyman and vice-chairman of East Yorkshire NFU, said: "The WI made a huge difference before and it's fantastic to have them back on the case.

"You can't ask for better than the support of the customers. The retailers seem to think they have sorted out all our problems and they need another push."

The WI initiative came in a series of events underlining the political importance of the dairy industry. A significant minority of MPs voted (unsuccessfully) for the Sustainable Livestock Bill, which became a rallying banner for various causes, including opposition to a giant indoor dairy farm at Nocton in Lincolnshire.

This week, the Nocton proposal was resubmitted to planners – with some modifications. Details of the new plan can be found at www.noctondairies.co.uk/

CW 20/11/10