DEAR EDITOR,

Could you imagine your readers selling bullocks into a factory and not knowing the price per kilo?

Could you imagine a farmer buying a load of fertiliser, and not knowing what it cost per tonne? Or deciding himself what he pays for it? It’s time dairy farmers copped themselves on.

There’s no excuse for farmers not knowing what price they’re getting for their milk before they supply it. Processors have long established customers and know who they are selling their products to, if they don’t they deserve a kicking.

Milk price setting after the milk is supplied, makes for lazy, inefficient and ineffective processing and marketing, whilst expecting suppliers to live cap in hand.

The cows will be long dried off and hanging up before they’ll get their act into gear.

Over the next few months, processors will be doing their various PR stunts at agricultural shows up and down the country. It’s up to farmers, when they’re handed the little tub of ice cream to demand to know milk price in advance.

It’s only manners and respect to tell a lad what he is going to be paid before he supplies the milk.