Tag: For Farmers

Morrisons customers help raise £20 million for British farms

– Sales of Morrisons ‘For Farmers’ dairy and egg ranges help British farmers invest in sustainability and animal husbandry –

– Scheme has led to increased woodland and insect habitats, more grazing and free roaming time, and new cow comfort initiatives –

Morrisons customers have raised £20 million to support farms and the countryside by choosing to pay a little more for products in Morrisons For Farmers range. 

The funds have been ploughed back into a range of farm schemes to improve biodiversity and further improve animal welfare, in a period when British farmers have faced financial uncertainty due to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In October 2015, Morrisons was the first British retailer to launch a dairy product where part of the purchase price went directly back to farmers. Milk For Farmers was the original product – at 10p-a-litre more than Morrisons own label standard milk – with the full difference passed on to its dairy farmers.

The range now includes Cheese For Farmers, Cream For Farmers and Eggs For Farmers which similarly give customers the opportunity to pay a little more to support farmers directly. 

Funds from the For Farmers range have helped the farmed and natural environment. Morrisons For Farmers ‘Chuckle Eggs’, costing an extra 1p per egg more, has enabled farmers to invest money in planting woodland and creating insect-friendly wildflower habitats for their free-range chickens to roam around in. To date 169 acres have been planted. This month a similar insect habitat scheme is being rolled out across all Morrisons milk farms. 

Money from the Milk for Farmers range has enabled more investment in animal husbandry from the 140 dairy farmers aligned to Morrisons. Farmers directly selling into the Morrisons Milk For Farmers range grazed their cows for an average of 224 days last year – over a hundred more days than are required. 

Dairy farmers have also put the additional money towards new rotating brushes, mattresses and scratch pads for cows, along with foot baths to reduce lameness. 

Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture at Morrisons, said: “Our farmers continue to face some uncertainty due to the impact of Brexit and the pandemic. So we are pleased to have passed on £20 million from our For Farmers range to help fund initiatives which may otherwise have suffered from under-investment.

“It’s great to see many customers want to pay more to support British farmers – and want to buy dairy products from cows that have been let out to graze and eggs from free range hens who can roam in enriched woodland and grassland areas.”

Morrisons is British farming’s biggest supermarket customer and buys directly from over 3,000 farmers and growers. Morrisons is 100% British for its fresh meat, milk and eggs and always buys British produce first when in season and when available.

Morrisons has already embarked on a programme to be completely supplied by net zero carbon British farms[1] by 2030, five years ahead of the market. 

Over the next nine years, Morrisons will work with its 3,000 farmers and growers to produce affordable ‘net zero’ carbon meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. As part of the programme, Morrisons will also work with universities, farming and countryside organisations and carbon experts.

For more information on the Morrisons For Farmers range, please visit:  

https://www.morrisons-farming.com/backing-british/for-farmers-range

Morrisons helps egg farmers create biodiverse farmland for free-range hens

– New For Farmers ‘Chuckle Eggs’ give an extra 1p per egg back to farmers –

– Money will be invested in planting woodland and creating insect-friendly habitats –

– Enriched environments will mean healthier happier hens who naturally lay more eggs –

– This is the fifth For Farmers product launched by Morrisons giving part of the retail price directly back to farmers –

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For the first time, Morrisons is giving an extra 1p per egg back to farmers on every For Farmers medium egg sold – so that they can create more biodiverse farmland for their free-range chickens to roam around in.

The money raised from the sales of Morrisons For Farmers ‘Chuckle Eggs’ will be ploughed back into establishing better free-range farmland to create a healthier environment for happier hens, who naturally tend to lay more eggs.  

Morrisons became the first major supermarket to sell only free-range eggs in February 20201 .  Free-range hens cost farmers significantly more to keep2 as they need large outdoor woodland and grassland areas in which to exercise, along with enriched nesting boxes and undercover areas. 

Morrisons For Farmers contributions will help egg farmers to plant and manage woodland and wildflowers on their farms. Free-range hens should roam during daylight hours in fields planted with 20 per cent trees. When outside, hens naturally use trees for roosting –  which keeps them off the ground but under cover.

The extra investment may also be used by many farmers to create new or adapted buildings for their birds. Free-range hens require an indoor environment with more space and light, nest boxes with wide perches, and spaces for scratching and dust bathing.

Farms will also be encouraged to set aside land for wild bees and insects to increase their numbers, and in order that they can continue to pollinate the nation’s crops and flora. Morrisons agriculture team have helped to formulate a unique pollen and nectar rich flower mixture – to establish dedicated bumblebee and insect habitats. For every 16,000 birds they have, farmers have been asked to plant one acre of seed mix.

Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture at Morrisons said: “Improving animal welfare and looking after our farmed and natural environment is important for us and our customers.

“By giving back to our egg farmers, they can create the highest welfare outside and indoor conditions for their hens. Planting woodland, pollen and nectar rich habitats will also bring huge and wider benefits to our countryside, and support sustainable food production into the future.”

Mark Williams, CEO at The British Egg Industry Council, said: “We applaud Morrisons for this move. We believe it is very important to encourage free-range hens to go outside and fully explore the range around the hen house.

“That’s why the British Lion Scheme actively encourages farmers to plant trees that give a natural canopy for the hens, helping the birds to feel protected, alongside activities that encourage the birds to come outside and enjoy the natural environment.”

A 12 pack of Morrisons For Farmers medium ‘Chuckle Eggs’ are available in 491 Morrisons stores and online from this week costing £1.99. Twelve pence from every pack will go back to the farmers who produced the eggs.

All of Morrisons fresh eggs are free-range, sourced from 44 free-range egg farms country-wide. 1.5million free-range birds will be laying medium eggs for Morrisons For Farmers ‘Chuckle Egg’ range.

Morrisons launched its range of For Farmers products in October 2015, and became the first supermarket to give part of the retail price directly back to farmers. The range now includes milk, cream, cheese, butter and eggs.

To date, the For Farmers range has given back £17m directly to British farmers.