Dairy farmers are upset over an expected mammoth loss in business over the next four months as a result of a second milk quota reduction by the Pine Hill Dairy (PHD).
Reacting to a letter sent to 17 farms yesterday morning, farmers said last August’s reduction by 25 per cent of the milk they produced would now be cut by another 15 to 19 per cent, thereby potentially “destroying some farmers”.
According to president of the Barbados Dairy and Beef Producers’ Association, Brian Allan, the PHD would cut the quota by 44 per cent, after having built up excess stock when it reviewed and suspended all quotas a year ago.
“They allowed the farmers to provide as much as they wanted. Now, after more than a year, they cannot get rid of the stock,” explained Allan, who added that the PHD had since put two options to dairy farmers: it would stop taking milk for two weeks or reduce the quota over the next four months.
