After nearly 4 years of the price of milk falling, it looks likely that we will see an increase in the milk price this month. Various figures are being talked about at the moment ranging from 1p a litre to 2p a litre. The supermarkets are indicating that they will pay more for their milk because they know that driving farmers out of business is not in their best interest. Their bank is telling many dairy farmers including ourselves that unless there is an increase in the milk price, the bank will not be able to support them for much longer. For some farmers this increase will unfortunately come too late, but will be very welcome for those of us left. NFU figures suggest that the break even point for milk production is 20-22p a litre, so even if the price does go up 2p a litre from 16p to 18p we will still have a long way to go before we are in profit.
A friend pointed out to me that if you aren't making a profit with what you are doing, then don't do it. This is a fair point and to some extent has already happened and will continue to happen until the market is under supplied.
I was interested in Professor John Krebs recent comments regarding organic food. I have nothing against people who choose to buy organic food, nor organic farmers, indeed I admire them to have the courage to go into something that is currently under supplied and therefore attracts a premium. He was right to point out what I have often thought, that there is no evidence to suggest that organic food is more healthy, or non organic food is in any way bad for you. I do accept that organic vegetables taste better. Suggestions by some organic fanatics that non-organic meat is more likely to be infected with B.S.E. and Ecoli is totally false. Feed that could cause B.S.E. was banned long ago. Ecoli is caused by the handling of meat after the animal has been killed.
At home we have been very fortunate to have been able to make all three cuts of silage in good weather conditions. We hopefully have ample stocks of silage and are well set up for the winter. The cows are milking well and will go into winter in good condition, so with an increase in milk price it will hopefully keep the bank manager at bay!
It is now it is 2 years since I started writing farming matters and mostly reporting on things getting from bad to worse. I hope from now on I will be able to report things getting better.