New range of milk will aid farmers in Shropshire
A new premium milk line which will see extra money returned to farmers has been launched in supermarkets.
Arla Farmers Milk will cost £1.20 for a four-pint bottle, 25p more than similar own-brand bottles sold in Asda.
That extra money will be shared among the 12,700 farmers who produce milk for Arla, which is a co-operative owned by those suppliers.
The new line has been welcomed by farming bosses in Shropshire, with the NFU's county adviser Jonathan Evans calling it "a positive move".
Milk prices have been at unsustainably low prices for several months now, leaving the prices paid to farmers by processors well below the cost of production.
Official Government figures show that the average farm gate milk price in May was 20.44p, which represented a fall of 1.13p or 5.3 per cent on the previous month, and which is some 10p below the 30p per litre level which is considered to be the break-even point for dairy farmers.
"I think this is something the whole industry should get behind and support," Mr Evans said.
"This is another positive move by Arla, working closely with Asda, that increases farmers' returns from the retail market.
"Numerous studies, including Arla's own, have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for milk as long as the farmers' benefit from the increased price – this initiative follows a similar one launched by Morrisons last autumn.
"Alongside this launch, Arla and its farmer members are embarking on a tour of the UK to explain to consumers about the many benefits of milk and dairy products in the daily diet as well as the importance of supporting British farmers."
Arla's research suggests that 63 per cent of consumers would pay more for dairy products if they know the extra cash is returned to farmers.
Arla Foods amba farmer board director Jonathan Ovens said: "The launch of this new milk is a great boost to our dairy farmers.
"People want to know more about where their food comes from and who benefits and are willing to pay more if they know it goes directly to the farmers that produce it.
"As we're part of a cooperative, the money we receive goes back to the farmers who supply our milk.
"With farmgate milk prices much lower than we would like, we thank Asda for the continued support of our cooperative principles and also for providing an opportunity for their shoppers to give something back to Arla dairy farmers."
The new Arla Farmers Milk was launched at the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday, and will be supported by a marketing roadshow over the next two months.
Arla Farmers Milk will also carry the special Arla Farmer-owned Marque, which shows it has been sourced from a farmer-owned cooperative.
Arla introduced the marque in 2015 on its branded and some own-label dairy products, in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to returning profit to farmers.
