TWO of only eight milk producers left in the Talgarreg area have told how their income has been slashed by half in just two years.

The area was once thriving with milk-producing farming families but due to dwindling farm gate prices and the economic downturn many have stopped farming over the years.

Still producing around 6,000 litres of milk a day is the 320 Friesian cow milking enterprise, which stretches over 500 acres, run by father and son team Hywel Dafis and Arwel Davies of Blaenglowon Fach farm and Pantswllt farm.

Over the last two years, they have seen their milk cheque being reduced by 50 per cent, paying them now just 14.5 pence per litre compared to almost 35 pence per litre in 2014.

With just eight producers left in the immediate area and each of them facing significant cuts to what they get paid for their milk, Arwel estimates the loss to the local economy to be over £1m in revenue.

“In the late 1960s there were around 50 milk producers here in the area. That has dropped down to just eight now. Between the dairy farms here we produce approximately 12 to 13 million litres of milk each year and the money we make gets spent here in our local economy,” said Arwel Davies.

“The significant drop in milk price has resulted in all of us suffering financially."

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