"Since DFOB went into receivership on June 3 everyone has been making every effort to ensure that as many farmers as possible have been able to find alternative buyers for their milk. The latest figures from the receivers reveal that some 200 of the initial 1,800 farmers have still not found a new home for their milk. Although this figure is an encouraging indicator, we must make sure that every possible avenue is explored to find buyers for these remaining farmers, whose only other option will be to exit the dairy industry. Many of these farmers are situated in remote locations or are producing small volumes of milk and therefore are not attractive to the larger milk buyers, most of which have now taken on their maximum capacity of additional supply. However, the NFU has received a number of concerning reports from young dairy farmers, who have expansion plans, that have been caught out by these events as well as a number of progressive specialist producers who passionately wish to stay in dairying." NFU Chief Adviser Hayley Campbell Gibbons.

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