Countryfile interview for Sunday prompts a recalculation by NFU

Last weeks declaration to DEFRA by the NFU that “2000 dairy farmers are suffering severe financial pressure” appears to have been recalculated ahead of Tom Heaps investigation into the Dairy Industry expected to be shown on Countryfile.

The figures were crunched and processors and their supplying farmers now categorised by the NFU into high, medium and low risk.

In the original version 1 high-risk category earlier this week the NFU had 5 processors, Freshways, Medina, Pensworth plus two other surprise inclusions neither of whom have told its farmers to dump milk or that they would not be able to pay farmers on time and as stated in their contract. The two were allegedly very forceful that their names were removed from the high risk list claiming that inclusion in that list presents reputational risk on which one was prepared to take action if necessary.

The accepted industry figure, which many knew all along, was that around 550 farmers predominantly supplying Freshways and Medina are in high risk and certainly suffering severe financial pressure. This was the accurate figure more than 10 days ago when the call to arms was made.