To think that the price of Milk is just too cheap

[RudeBarbandCustard]

I'm shocked at how cheap milk has become, and I think it's really worrying that a pint of milk is now cheaper than bottled water.

I usually buy my milk with my supermarket shop, so I have to confess I've never taken any notice of the actual price until now.

The other day, I bought 2 x 4 Pint bottles of milk from the corner shop. I expected it to cost around £4... so I was stunned when I realized they were just £1 each. What's more, in our local Asda a 4 pint bottle is 89p!

Considering people happily pay £2 or more for a bottle of water these days, I think it's disgusting that the supermarket price wars have driven the price of milk down like this.

I don't know much about this issue, so I'm prepared to be educated, but personally I think it's appalling. Do any of the supermarkets pay a fair price for their milk??

Ps I think a Mumsnet campaign is a brilliant idea

Milk is a staple to most/many household diets and - as I said - there are other areas to make necessary economies for many people. I'd rather pay more now than have no milk in the future. (Or milk which can only be produced with likely harm to animals or humans.)

If you scroll down the Grocer link there is another article that says Waitrose later confirmed that they pay 75.2p per 4 pints (so second highest after M&S).

I wish I could have a milkman deliver but there's nothing available locally. My Dad was a milkman for many years and delivered over a vast area. I used to love going with him in the school holidays. We'd get up at daybreak and I'd sit wrapped in a blanket in the cab of his milk truck. The local farmers used to give us pheasants and cuts of meat or bags of flour to take home. We stopped for hot chocolate with some of the loveliest regular customers. It was so lovely. The dairy closed 4 years ago. It's ruddy sad.

I hope the price of milk and bread stays that low. Some people rely on it.

I would not mind if apples and bananas stay low too. Not every one can afford to pay £4 for milk.

Myself, I remember - among other things - being up at 2 in the morning to help with a calfing. It was hard work then but how much harder it is now I can only guess.

I wonder how many children now think that milk comes out of bottles in the supermarket? We seem to be divorced from the actual production of so many things and milk is just one of them.

I hope the price of milk and bread stays that low. Some people rely on it. while i understand that, its ruining the dairy farming industry. It is costing farmers more to produce than they get for it, highly processed and not a nutritious as it should be.

What about the farmers who rely on their income? What if they all decide to just stop producing?

That's why I said 'many', debbriana. I appreciate that there are households where a rise in the price of milk would seem at first sight to be a disaster.

(And don't start me on the quality and production of bread and flour. (The current 'pappy stuff'.) That's something I do know about and it horrifies me also.)

Debriana I posted earlier that I pay 65p per pint direct from the dairy... now even if maths isn't your strongest point I suspect you are exaggerating for effect.

It seemsteh super science of retail really does work on some people

seems the

I'm not sure that that's entirely fair, TheGirl - there are households where a significant immediate rise in staple prices would have a very bad impact. I do think, though, that you have to look at the nutritional quality of foods - eg cheap bread just rockets through the system compared to better stuff - and also look at the long term effect of low prices. There's only a limited point to keeping the prices of some food low to eg appear to satisfy children right now when it means that they won't be able to buy the stuff as adults.

Gillianschmillion, your DD's doctor needs to do some research....hormones to promote milk production and also promote growth in animals for meat production have been banned throughout the EU for years; the monitoring techniques are very very sensitive and the fines for using these hormones are huge. Dunno why so many people still repeat the "pumped full of hormones" thing when it has been illegal for so long. Some types of antibiotics can be used, but each has a set milk withdrawal period (time that the milk from that animal has to be dumped rather than going into the food chain after the antibiotic has been used). Again the methods of testing for the presence of antibiotics in milk are very sensitive and the penalties applied to the farmer are severe.

Cozie what's not fair?

How is it not fair? Deb justification that not everyone can afford £4 for milk is incorrect, because it doesn't cost £4.

This is the problem, people ignore the problem of goods being too cheap as they assume a correct price will make it unaffordable. That isn't case.

I've got to wake dd up so haven't read whole thread but ynbu... I really hate paying 89p for a big milk and I'm dead tight!!! If you live near one Booths milk is called "Fair milk" and they pay producers a decent price. We must support the dairy farmers

The price of supermarket milk is too cheap, I agree. Our local milkman charges £1 a pint. The supermarket is £1 for 4. I have 4 milk guzzlers and cannot yet justify paying £4 for milk from the milkman which will last barely 2 days if I'm lucky.

Ethically and environmentally I'd prefer to buy glass bottled pints. But financially I cannot justify it at the moment.

TheGirl

I think that suggesting someone might be 'exaggerating for effect' overlooks the fact that there really are households in the UK where a parent might only have 20p to get them to the end of the week.

I'm not saying that allowing that fact - or people's sometime glee in getting a bargain -to influence food prices and food production is a good idea. In fact I think it's incredibly short sighted and damaging to society and the environment in the medium to long term - but I think you have to at least acknowledge it as important to some people and then deal with it.

It's not that cheap if you get organic milk delivered by the milkman 3 days a week.

I'm not giving the supermarkets my milk money so they can hammer the dairy farmers evenly more.

But Cozie she said £4 per pint... what is that if not exaggerating for effect?

I know people struggle, but lets face it, a fair price for farmers & milkys isn't going to worsen their situation in any way

My milky takes healthy start voucher things and doesn't receive any top up on them. Chooses not to. A more community based approach to these things will often work to the advantage of the very poor imo.

Have realised I sound like I know every financial aspect of my milkys business... just to be clear, I do Mrs milky is also an occaisional MN'er and good mate too... i wonder if she'll see this thread and realise my user name now

Those are fair points, TheGirl - but what was said might also demonstrate - as well as do some of the posts on this thread - many people's complete non-understanding of the financial situation for the industry and the community.

That's why I think a renewed campaign on this and other food matters might be a good idea. We're already leaving our children with an impoverished world if they did but realize it and I would hate to leave it to them with only the equivalent of grey pills to eat as well.

Grantaire

If you delivered in the winter, do you recall bluetits eating the frozen cream through the bottle caps on the doorstep?

Small memories.

I agree with you cozie

Maybe I took Debs post too literally....

Some really interesting food for thought on this thread, thank you everyone.

I appreciate a rise in cost would be difficult for some, but as a PP has said milk isn't this cheap in some other EU countries and people get by. I don't see how paying a fair price for milk so that the farmers can stay in business would have such a huge impact on people's weekly shopping budget.

And besides, I agree that if the supermarkets want to sell milk as a loss leader, they should take the hit, not the suppliers. Perhaps it's time for the dairy farms to kick up a fuss about it... but then I suppose the supermarkets would just source their dairy from other countries.

I'm going to call the local dairy today and make enquiries, so pleased. I can't wait to start having milk delivered to the door!

If you delivered in the winter, do you recall bluetits eating the frozen cream through the bottle caps on the doorstep?

I remember that vividly. Sometimes all of the milk bottles in the crate had been opened by the birds, bless them.

I also remember going out to find the milk had frozen and lifted the lid off the top. Or just having 'slushy' milk. Nice!

Also had a massive crush on the milkman's teenage son who used to deliver the school milk to our classroom in primary school. Ah the memories!

You may (emphasise that 'may') have to be a little more inventive in how you use milk according to the schedule the local dairy has. Some are less flexible than others so you could find yourself 'having' to make eg milk puddings to use up milk which is building up. (The sort of thing our grandmothers did automatically which is really just planning your meals a bit.)

No real hardship of course. Last week I baked a truly glorious rice pudding with raisins which probably cost dramatically less than the equivalent pud from a supermarket and tasted wonderful.