![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Alistair McConnachie published Sovereignty from July 1999 to its 120th consecutive monthly issue in June 2009, and he continues to maintain this website. Alistair McConnachie also publishes Prosperity - Freedom from Debt Slavery which explains a solution for the economic crisis and A Force For Good which makes a positive case for the UK Union. To find out more go to the about who is Alistair McConnachie page. Buy the Complete 10-Year, 120 Back Issue Set of Sovereignty - worth £162.50 - for only £89 inc p+p, a 45% discount. Cheques to Sovereignty, at 268 Bath St, Glasgow, G2 4JR or go to the Sovereignty back issues page and click "Buy Now". |
WHY THE BRITISH DAIRY INDUSTRY IS SUFFERING |
|||
Alistair McConnachie writes: Dairy farmers in Britain are suffering a collapse in milk prices by up to 5p a litre, which is well below the cost of production. Yet, dairy farmers in Ireland, and among our European competitors, are able to make a living producing far less milk than the average British dairy farmer. Why is this? There are 4 reasons: Firstly, the milk price for all milk in the EU, including the milk produced in Britain, is set in euros. British farmers are paid the equivalent euro-value for their milk. Therefore, when the euro devalues in relation to sterling -- which means that the euro is "weak" in relation to the "strong" pound, which means that you get more euros for your pounds -- therefore, when British farmers get paid in euros, and convert these euros into sterling, they find they get less sterling. In effect, this means that farmers in euroland start at around a 15 percent price advantage compared to British farmers. Even if Britain joined the euro, we would have to join at the current exchange rate, and so the present disadvantage would remain. Secondly, due to the milk quota system set by Brussels, euroland farmers have surpluses, which, because the "Common Agricultural Policy" allows free access to British markets, they are able to offload onto Britain and thereby undercut home producers. Thirdly, our euroland competitors are supported better financially by their own governments, via various subsidies and tax breaks. Yet, here in Britain, our government seems determined to do away with much of British farming, and to see small and family farms driven to the wall. Fourthly, British taxpayers pay £5 billion a year into the Common Agricultural Policy but only £2.2 billion comes back to British agriculture. In other words, for every £1 we pay to help British farmers, we pay £1.50 to help our European competitors. In other words, we British taxpayers are paying European farmers to undercut our own British farmers!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |