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ARTICLE · 08 NOVEMBER 2006

Agricultural Bulletin, November 2006

With the recent failure of the Doha world trade talks still fresh in our minds, we focus on the effect of trade on the agricultural sector and where income, if any, is coming from – with particular attention to the UK dairy industry.

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With the recent failure of the Doha world trade talks still fresh in our minds, we focus on the effect of trade on the agricultural sector and where income, if any, is coming from – with particular attention to the UK dairy industry.

THE MILK SQUEEZE

UK dairy farmers are once again caught up in a dreaded cost/price squeeze. Milk prices have been tumbling whilst input costs have been escalating.

A long cold winter followed by a very wet spring and a summer drought will force many farmers to enter this winter with low forage supplies.

Tumbling Prices

The average weighted farm gate price for the 2005/06 milk year was 18.5 pence per litre (ppl), similar to the 2004/05 price of 18.4ppl. Unfortunately, this period of relative stability has been shattered by the substantial cuts (0.5-1.0ppl) made by purchasing dairies this summer.

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