News / Local support brings hope to milk producers
SHETLAND’S dairy industry is forecasting a bright future despite local problems and the national crisis of milk prices floundering below the cost of production.
The revelation comes as a new Facebook campaign site Save our Shetland Milk is starting to demonstrate how much local support there is for dairy producers.
Shetland Farm Dairies co-operative manager Gerry Byres said the local industry was restructuring itself to become smarter, leaner and fit for the future.
The Irishman with 30 years experience in the field said that many of the local problems were homemade, for example not listening to customers’ complaints about leaking containers.
Over recent months Mr Byres has visited supermarkets and country shops to find out what customers want from locally produced dairy products.
“It makes me grieve and almost cry to hear about the way customers have been treated over the years,” he said.
“You won’t believe the amount of people who have said to me: ‘Do you want to come with me and wash my fridge out, do you want to clean my carpet, because your milk is leaking?’.
“The problems in the local dairy industry didn’t start in 2011 or 2012, they started eight or ten years ago. That’s when they should have made small changes, but they didn’t take the Shetland’s people loyalty to heart.”
He promised once the current difficulties facing some local milk producers have been overcome, Shetland Farm Dairies would be ready to re-launch later this year.
The number of local milk producers is to reduce from six to four with one producer currently selling his herd, while another is reported to be in financial troubles. A third farm is currently up for sale.
Mr Byres conceded that locally produced milk will not be able to compete on price with milk imported from the UK mainland, but insisted there was a huge amount of goodwill in the community to support local produce.
“What we are looking at is change of containers, change of labels, and change of presentation,” he said, adding that the company was working with Shaw Marketing on re-branding Shetland milk.
He added that he was in discussions with the local authority in the hope that grants might be available, but added that he was prepared to “soldier on” regardless.
“I am a great believer of all things standing on their own two feet,” he said.
Meanwhile a Save our Shetland Milk Facebook page was launched last Friday and by Tuesday afternoon had almost 300 ‘Likes’.
In one of the first postings on the site, the people behind setting up the site said: “There is no blame on the supermarkets here; it’s all down to the consumer.
“Local milk is a little more expensive, but you know where it comes from, that it is fresh, and that it will still be here if boats don’t run.
“Last year in a four day stretch of bad weather, the only fresh produce on supermarket shelves was local milk and butter.
“We have to think of the consequences of the very real possibility of losing the dairy and relying on sooth supply all year around for shops, schools, care homes and everything else.”
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