Dairy Prices

The motion

That the Parliament is concerned at the current trading relationship between supermarkets and Scotland’s dairy farmers; believes that Scottish dairy farmers are being squeezed into financially unviable situations by supermarkets intent on profiteering at the expense of fair treatment and equitable trade; points to the findings of DairyCo’s annual Dairy Supply Chain Margins report, which shows that, in the financial year ending March 2010, supermarkets managed to increase their margins on all three dairy products, fresh milk, mild and mature cheddar, despite only marginal changes in the retail prices being charged to consumers; notes that, in the same 12-month period, margins for those processing milk were squeezed and the average price paid to farmers for their milk fell by 2p to 23.8p per litre; finds it incomprehensible and unscrupulous that supermarkets should pay this price to dairy farmers considering that the cost of producing milk on a farm was estimated at this time to be between 26p and 27p per litre; is shocked to note reports that, while dairy farmers make a loss of 2p to 3p on every litre that they produce, supermarkets make a profit of between 15p and 18p on every litre that they sell; understands that individual major retailers sell between 400 million and 1 billion litres of milk annually, thus making profits of between £60 million and £180 million every year; believes that Scottish dairy farmers are being exploited, and considers that they should be paid a fair rate for their produce.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

SNP 12 Con 2 Green 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S3M-07178 by reference.