The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Would you pay more for your milk?

Hi all

So, most supermarkets now sell milk at 89p for 2 litres (or cheaper)

It costs the farmers at least 30p to produce a litre of milk, yet they are only being paid around 23p per litre for it.

Why is this?
Would you be willing to pay more? (my local corner shop charges £1.49 for 2l, no qualms about paying that at all)

Debate away!

Scroll to see replies

I would pay a higher price for milk because if we lose a large chunk of our native suppliers, foreign imports on milk will probably surge to an even higher price. I blame the supermarkets for this. They need to go bankrupt so we can get REAL markets back and local business.
I pay just under £2 for a pint of milk and I wouldn't want to pay more, especially as a student.
Reply 3
Avatar for jamestg
jamestg
21
Original post by Abzz789
Hi all

So, most supermarkets now sell milk at 89p for 2 litres (or cheaper)

It costs the farmers at least 30p to produce a litre of milk, yet they are only being paid around 23p per litre for it.

Why is this?
Would you be willing to pay more? (my local corner shop charges £1.49 for 2l, no qualms about paying that at all)

Debate away!


I'd pay more for local milk from farm shops or local corner shops. But I wouldn't for supermarket bought stuff.
Reply 4
Avatar for Abzz789
Abzz789
OP
4
Original post by vanessa409
I pay just under £2 for a pint of milk and I wouldn't want to pay more, especially as a student.


That seems really expensive, can totally understand you not wanting to pay more!
I'd happily pay more for my milk.
Reply 6
Avatar for 1338
1338
18
In reality it doesn't cost them more to produce the milk than they sell it for otherwise they'd just stop doing it and take the grants the EU pay to farmers for leaving their land alone. Maybe once you've given your farm's figures to an accountant to manipulate and included the expenses of sending your children to a private boarding school you can claim you're making a loss to try and boost your profit margins, but farmers are still loaded and living a much better life than the majority of people in the UK on their inherited multi million pound estates.

So no I wouldn't pay more for milk :biggrin:
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Abzz789
Hi all

So, most supermarkets now sell milk at 89p for 2 litres (or cheaper)

It costs the farmers at least 30p to produce a litre of milk, yet they are only being paid around 23p per litre for it.

Why is this?
Would you be willing to pay more? (my local corner shop charges £1.49 for 2l, no qualms about paying that at all)

Debate away!


If it meant supporting BRITISH farmers/industry and resulted in better conditions for the animals, then absolutely! I'm struggling for money as it is but it would be worth it for just a little extra.
I pay a quid for 4 pints any more and i am complaining to the supermarkets
I would happily pay more, even as a student I would only ever buy British meats and milk.

The trouble lies solely with the supermarkets controlling the milk market so they are the ones who determine the price that the farmers are getting at the end of the day.

British dairy farmers work incredibly hard to produce good quality milk with animal welfare standards well above their European mainland counterparts. But this hard work is not showing through with the abysmally low prices. I think it is time that the Government stepped in and guaranteed fair contracts for farmers producing sustainably. Those who cannot produce sustainably must be let to die off, because there is no longer space in the market for inefficient methods.
Original post by 1338
take the grants the EU pay to farmers for leaving their land alone.


Which EU grants are those, could you source them?
If the supermarkets raise the price of milk by as much as a penny i'm eating my cereal with orange juice...

No, I wouldn't mind paying more.
Reply 12
Avatar for Hopple
Hopple
18
I would pay more, but I would want some sort of guarantee that it was going to the farmers.
Original post by DiddyDec
I would happily pay more, even as a student I would only ever buy British meats and milk.

The trouble lies solely with the supermarkets controlling the milk market so they are the ones who determine the price that the farmers are getting at the end of the day.

British dairy farmers work incredibly hard to produce good quality milk with animal welfare standards well above their European mainland counterparts. But this hard work is not showing through with the abysmally low prices. I think it is time that the Government stepped in and guaranteed fair contracts for farmers producing sustainably. Those who cannot produce sustainably must be let to die off, because there is no longer space in the market for inefficient methods.
they tried this sort of **** in the past in europe. if you interfere too much more farmers enter the market...so yeh need to be careful

but yeh go cows go!
The supermarket chain I work for sources its milk from a co-operative owned by the farmers who produce the milk, thereby cutting out the middle-men, hence the lower price at the checkout.

It's similar in a way as to how some Fairtrade goods are no more expensive than their big-brand counterparts.
No, I don't like paying more for things.
Original post by DiddyDec
I would happily pay more, even as a student I would only ever buy British meats and milk.

The trouble lies solely with the supermarkets controlling the milk market so they are the ones who determine the price that the farmers are getting at the end of the day.

British dairy farmers work incredibly hard to produce good quality milk with animal welfare standards well above their European mainland counterparts. But this hard work is not showing through with the abysmally low prices. I think it is time that the Government stepped in and guaranteed fair contracts for farmers producing sustainably. Those who cannot produce sustainably must be let to die off, because there is no longer space in the market for inefficient methods.


PRSOM.

Also happy to pay more here, so long as the farmers get a decent deal, AND animal welfare standards are kept high. Milk isn't the biggest expense in life anyway, in fact it's very insignificant compared to transport costs, accommodation/rent, holidays, etc...
Reply 17
Avatar for Abzz789
Abzz789
OP
4
I don't see why supermarkets can't absorb the costs, sort of having milk as a loss leader. Knowing they are paying their farmers more would definitely draw me to shop in a certain place
Aye I would, tbh I'm surprised there isn't some sort of premium brand (even supermarket own) trying to push this, as in you have your 89p a 4 pinter from the discounters (even some of the big supermarket as well), and alongside that they could merchandise a say £1.30 a 4 pinter "fair deal for UK farmers" brand, I do think a significant number of people would choose the option to pay more as long as was all above board and publicised well.

I think Sainsburys is supposed to pay their farmers a fair price though aren't they?
Original post by Abzz789
I don't see why supermarkets can't absorb the costs, sort of having milk as a loss leader. Knowing they are paying their farmers more would definitely draw me to shop in a certain place


afaik those selling it at 89p for a 2ltr are using it as a loss leader, at least I know for one retailer for a fact, their 89p price point makes them a small loss.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you