A Workington farmer has warned he may have to leave the dairy industry if the price of milk does not improve.

John Bowe, who has about 160 dairy cattle at Hunday Farm, is losing thousands of pound a month because the price per litre he receives for his milk has dropped below the cost of producing it.

Milk prices have hit the headlines in recent weeks, with farmers protesting in supermarkets to highlight the low rates paid for the product.

John, 67, who has been at the farm all his life, said some local farmers were already leaving the dairy business and he might be forced to join them.

He said: "We're here to make a living.

"Unless something drastic happens in the near future there will be a lot of people who find it very difficult and have to pack in.

"We have to see how it goes in the next few months. I'm considering coming out.

"Most farmers can't manage without government subsidy now.

"For a lot it will just be the banks keeping them going.

"I have enjoyed this job but a time comes when the bank's always on your back because you run on an overdraft. We can't cut any more costs."

If Hunday Farm cease dairy farming, it would lose its two employees, one with 25 years of service and the other fresh out of school.

John said: "They depend on this job. It's a big decision to make when a chap's been with you 25 years."

John grew up on the farm and took it over from his father.

He said: "He milked all his life. He died when I was 32. Because he milked cows I carried on."

In the past dairy farming was profitable and John said there was a time he could have charged 90p per litre for his milk.

Now, though, the figures have plummeted.

He said: "Less than two years ago we were on 31p per litre. Now we're on 19p. Every penny a litre that comes off means about £1,000 a month to us.

"It costs us 24p or 25p to produce each litre."

John believes the major factor in the Britain's dairy industry's downfall was the move from a single milk marketing board to a selection of different companies competing for business.

He said: "The milk marketing board was dictating the price. Now it's a playing field. Each one's trying to get it cheaper.

"Milk's now cheaper than it was 20 years ago. The price of everything else has gone up.

"My son's 32. I don't think it gives him any incentive to carry on milking."

John's son Will has worked in the farm since leaving school.

He chose the family business over the chance to play professional golf and plans to take over the farm in the future.

He said: "It isn't just affecting the farms. It's affecting other companies who supply farms because the farmers can't afford to pay them."

The Bowes farm about 420 acres of land and also have beef cattle. 

John said: "We only want a fair crack at the whip. We're not asking for a fortune for the milk." 

Will added: "A lot of other industries can dictate their prices. We've got to take what we're given."

John thinks setting a minimum price that farmers cannot be paid below would help farmers.

He said: "I'd have said at least 26p. If one board was running the show it would be better."

A dairy farmer's work involves long days, little rest at weekends and working Christmas Day.

That is just not a commitment John feels able to make long term if all it does is lose him money.

He said: "It's been a good living. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't enjoy it."

 "When we are working for nothing it isn't good enough."

  • A FREE event for dairy farmers will be held at the Melbreak Hotel, Great Clifton, on September 22, at 7pm. Organised by The Prince’s Dairy Initiative, which aims to improve the long-term sustainability of the British dairy sector, the event is open to farmers with herds of fewer than 200 cows.
    To reserve a place or for more details call Hannah Tait on 07990 778149 or email hannah.tait@ahdb.org.uk