Changes needed to maintain deliveries

Tuesday 11th January 2011, 11:30AM GMT.

Deputy Andrew Le Lievre instigated the review into the dairy industry which has come up with a number of recommendations. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1076824)

FUNDAMENTAL operational and price structure changes are required if doorstep milk deliveries are to be maintained, a review of the dairy industry has said.

The independent report released yesterday said that deliveries had been abandoned in areas of the UK and in Jersey due to a steady shift in recent years from sales on the doorstep to the shop.

In 2007, around 50% of supplies were sold through shops but the panel estimated that that has now increased to around 60% and is likely to continuing growing.

In Guernsey, it said, the system had its challenges and a major problem was that with a single gate price for milk from the Dairy, the rounds carrying out ‘shop only’ deliveries were taking too great a portion of the total delivery margin.