NFU Condemn Arla And First Milk

The NFU has condemned Arla and First Milk's recently announced price cuts as 'unjustified' and 'disappointing' saying that they are “exploiting the poor one-sided contract“ with farmers.

Not surprisingly neither company sees it quite that way.

Arla blames the reduction on a falling commodities market, the effects of which it says it absorbed in the second half of 2008. Meanwhile First Milk blames the European milk price slide which it says is now affecting the UK.

An unidentified NFU spokesman offered to take the Arla and First Milk executives on in the car park for a fight, according to reports circulating in my head.

Nogger betting on the winner of this intriguing three-way bout:

Unidentified NFU punter, probably a big strapping ex-farmer type 4/6 fav

First Milk Chief Executive Peter Humphreys, probably not had a fight since he was twelve 3/1

Hanne Sondergaard, deputy CEO of Arla Foods UK (could be a woman with a name like that) 12/1

Win only.