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Farmers Forced to Dump Milk as Coronavirus Hits British Dairy Industry

Dairy farmers across the UK have reported dumping thousands of gallons of milk as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic hit the dairy industry.

This footage was shared by Rod Whiteman from his family’s farm in Staffordshire, England. It was filmed by Melissa Underwood, his partner. Whiteman told Storyful that Freshways, a British dairy distributor, did not collect milk from their farm on April 6. Other users on social media reported similar issues with milk not being collected (see here, here, and here).

According to reports from Farmers Weekly, Freshways sent an email to suppliers on April 5: "Due to ongoing restrictions which are leading to more stringent handling procedures, staff shortages, slower production etc.. you may experience delays in farm collections. Please take whatever action is needed to insure [sic] that the quality of milk which is collected will still meet the standards required.

“This may unfortunately mean that some milk will have to be tipped.”

The first two weeks of March saw a 70 percent reduction in the British service sector’s demand for milk, according to Farming UK.

Speaking to Storyful, Rod Whiteman warned: “If dairy producers go under, there is a risk to our food security. Farms cannot be restocked with new cattle overnight if large portions of the national dairy herd go to slaughter.” Credit: Melissa Underwood via Storyful