Milk price cuts force Shropshire farmer to quit career he loved

Jim Franklin has closed the family farm of 32 years, selling his 100 cows and all his equipment. He and his family were tenants at Park Farm on the Aqualate Estate, on the outskirts of Newport. But today he is looking for a new job as he faces the future with his wife Jules and their three children.

Mr Franklin spoke of his plight as a fifth protest is planned tonight by Farmers for Action, on the border of north Shropshire and Cheshire.

Last week 600 farmers and protesters blockaded the Muller dairy in Market Drayton after it cut the price paid to farmers for milk by 1.9 pence per litre from November to 27.1p per litre – on top of a previous reduction that took effect earlier this month and an earlier cut in August.

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Mr Franklin, who farmed at the estate with his father and other family members, said he was looking forward to the next 25 years at the farm but described issues forcing him to quit as a sudden "double whammy".

"The estate was looking to restructure to become more profitable," he said. "It is a double whammy of low milk prices affecting the productivity of the farm. You can also add value on top of the milk prices, for example on butterfat or protein, but it depends on whether you can afford to produce it. It is a vicious circle."

The 41-year-old, of Summerhouse Grove, Newport, called on farmers to continue fighting for a better deal. He said: "Dairy farmers have every right to fight their corner. The job itself is hard enough without having to worry about milk prices. I went to a number of protests in 2012 – every single one I went to was well-natured, quiet and had a very good relationship with the police who were there. It is not militant at all, they are peaceful protests.

"I think if it was not for protest action you could see the farm gate price being slashed all the time. I support the dairy farmers who are protesting and say 'carry on while it is productive'.

"The dairy industry has to stick together and be all as one in this, which is why I want to help as much as I can. And now I am in a unique position – I am not working 4am till 6pm and I understand the relationship between farm and cows. There is a lot of passion."

Now he is not working from 4am until 6pm any more, Mr Franklin has spoken to the Shropshire Star about what forced the closure and his thoughts on the future of the industry.

It comes as protests organised by Farmers for Action continue across the country in a row over cuts by dairy processors to the price of milk.

Last week 600 farmers and protesters blockaded the Muller dairy in Market Drayton, saying it was a last resort as the processing giant was refusing to talk with farmers after announcing it would slash the price paid to farmers for milk by 1.9 pence per litre from November to 27.1p per litre. This was on top of a previous reduction that took effect earlier this month – and a cut in August. Another protest took place at the Co-operative Distribution Centre in Andover, Hampshire on Tuesday and the next planned protest is due to be held tonight, with farmers meeting at Lymm Truck Stop located on junction 20 off the M6 in Cheshire.

Mr Franklin said: "We were looking forward to the next 25 years as my father was due to retire, although farmers never really retire. The estate were looking to restructure and the dairy farm was a casualty of that, it was not my personal choice to stop dairy farming, although I would say in the circumstances the situation was handled as well as it could have been.

"It was a bit of a shock, it has been heartbreaking mainly because of the cows themselves. We had 100 Pedigree Holstein/ Friesian cattle. Any little calves that were born on the farm were kept and they went back into the farm. We did not buy any in. We were looking forward to the next 25 years.

"It was even coming to the stage where we were going to move up to the farm from our home in Newport. This has all happened from start to finish in two months. In July we were looking to the future and by October it is all done and over."

Mr Frankin, said his wife Jules and their three children Lauren, Thomas and Molly, along with his father Richard Franklin and other members of the family were devastated.

"It has been heartbreaking," he said. "Many tears have been shed about it because I had done a lot of work with them.

"We were very proud of what we did – we have worked alongside Red Tractor and Dairy Co.

"Dairy Co noticed me on Twitter and I have worked alongside them to help promote British dairy through the hashtag #teamdairy The dairy famers on social media have been massively supportive."