FALLING MILK PRICES

That this House notes with great concern the negative consequences that falling milk prices are having on British dairy farmers; wishes to call to attention that the number of dairy farmers in the UK has been halved in the last 10 years, from over 20,000 to under 10,000 farmers, due to the falling price of milk coupled with the rising costs of production; further notes that dairy farmers are now only receiving around 20 pence per litre of milk sold, down from 33 pence last year, a level which is much less than the cost of production; and calls on the Government to take steps to ensure that companies selling milk raise milk prices to sustainable levels that ensure the continued existence of Britain's dairy farmers.