Unions' crisis summit reaches audiences of 695m

Latest update - August 12

The news coverage followed our summit on Monday and the results of that meeting. Various TV crews headed to our meeting with Morrisons near Solihull, which in turn decided to announce its new milk product – Milk for Farmers – which comes with a 10p premium which goes back directly to farmers.

As a result, various interviews were set up with Meurig Raymond, Rob Harrison and Ruth Mason.

August 11

NFU President Meurig Raymond appeared on Sky News, Channel 5, ITV News, CNBC, Radio 5 Live and the BBC yesterday as the UK farming unions met in London to discuss the current crisis in the industry.

Several other NFU representatives were featured in local and national media, with the independent estimated NFU broadcast and print audience reach totalling over 128 million.

The national print media have also reported on the farming crisis with Financial Times, the Times, Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Daily Mail, Express, the Sun, Daily Mirror and the Metro covering the story. Read the Daily Mail article here.

What we're doing

What we aim to achieve

• Communicate the effect of the price cuts on our farming members, the hardship they are going through, the frustration and worry they feel and the potential impact on supply.
• Understand farmers' situation in the market, formulate plans for the future and stop any possible opportunism.
• Push for public support and better explain farmers' and the industry's plans.
• Gain commitments to not pass on any price cuts to farmers and achieve further transparency in the supply chain, so that all source milk in a fair and transparent way.
• See sustainable promotional mechanisms for British dairy products introduced, driving volume rather than price where necessary.
• Explain the consequences of devaluing dairy products, specifically milk, on the industry and future sustainability of the sector.
• Hold retailers to account for previous sourcing commitments and influence their aspirations for the future.
• Push for public support of the industry and farmers from retailers.

August 10

Today’s UK Farming Unions' Summit has received widespread coverage across the broadcast media this morning, with Meurig Raymond appearing on Sky News, BBC News, Channel 5 News and several radio stations.

National print media have also covered today’s meeting with the Guardian, Independent, Observer, Sunday Times and the Metro featuring this story and the wider dairy crisis. You can read more here.

In the Independent on Sunday, the NFU President cited dairy. He said: “The recent milk price cuts, from most processors, have had a massive impact with some farmers now facing their lowest milk pricing since 2007 – at around 20p per litre.

“At the same time, farm costs remain some 36 per cent higher than they were eight years ago and the single largest component of a dairy farm, animal feed, is more than 50 per cent higher than 2007 levels.”

In the interview in The Sunday Times he added: “”The whole future of dairy farming is in the balance.”

Today's meeting will discuss low prices across the sectors.

NFU Cymru’s Deputy Director Dylan Morgan has also appeared on BBC Breakfast and BBC regional bulletins, with Regional Director John Mercer appearing on Good Morning Britain.

How we're making your voice heard

Interviews with NFU staff and farmers on crisis prices in the dairy sector reached a potential audience of more than 11.5 million people yesterday and today, with that number set to be swelled by appearances on Good Morning Britain, the BBC’s main lunchtime news bulletin and Sky News.

NFU dairy board vice chairman Michael Oakes appeared on the Good Morning Britain sofa, and on Sky this morning, while former board member Mark Oliver was on BBC News and Meurig Raymond was interviewed on Five Live.

Chief dairy adviser Sian Davies debated the issues on BBC television news, and was involved in two hours of BBC radio interviews yesterday, appearing on appearing on Radio Four’s PM programme (listen here from 12m 30s) from  as well as regional stations the length and breadth of the country.

She said: “Is anyone making money on milk? At the moment, probably not, and that’s why our farmers have been out there today raising awareness about what consumers can do, what extra they can do to help support British dairy farmers.

“Look for British dairy products on shelves, look for the Union Jack and the little Red Tractor. Around half the cheese on our shelves is imported, and yoghurt the same. There’s scope for us to get more British dairy products on British shelves.”

She went on to call for a fairer division of supermarket margins and criticised the use of milk as a ‘loss-leader’.

The NFU also appears in today’s Daily Mail and NFU President, Meurig Raymond, is quoted in pieces on the Independent, Daily Express and Mail Online websites.

August 3

NFU staff and farmers have appeared across the media highlighting crisis-point pricing in the dairy sector.

Vice chairman of our dairy board, Michael Oakes, was interviewed by both Channel Five and Sky News this morning. He told a huge audience: “It would be great if people could look out for the British dairy products – that’s helpful.

“It’s never been this bad. The price I’m on is 24p per litre, and that’s not bad for the UK. I have neighbours who will be on 18. And my cost of production is 28p per litre. We’re working harder and longer but there’s still no margin in it and we question how long we are going to be able to carry on.”

Sky is likely to feature diary issues in further broadcasts later today.

The Express, Independent, I, the Mirror, the Sun, the BBC website and the Metro have all covered the recent protests in which milk has been removed from supermarket shelves and then left by the check-out.

NFU President Meurig Raymond is widely quoted and told the Express: "The market situation in dairy, lamb and many other products is driving farming families to a desperate state with returns from the market failing to cover costs of production.

"Farmers have worked very hard to gain the respect and support of the public for great British food - now farmers simply want and need a fair return for years' of investment.

"Given the current situation some farmers have been driven to take direct action. The NFU supports protests that have a proper target and a clear objective.

"However, we believe the best way for farmers to get a fairer return would be for consumers to demand British food.”

In response to protests, Morrisons quoted a ‘constructive meeting’ with NFU dairy board chairman Rob Harrison and said it would ‘not accept any further cost price decreases driven by the falling farm gate milk price’.

Mr Harrison has appeared in numerous outlets recently, including a lengthy opinion piece in the Yorkshire Post where he told readers: “Many of our dairy farmer members are feeling completely helpless, being driven to breaking point, haemorrhaging money, and leaving the industry in their droves.

“Over the past few weeks we have seen farmers start taking some direct action here. These farmers are at the end of their tether – they’re scared that they could lose their jobs, their homes and their way of life.”