I think the world would be a better place if massive subsidisation were no longer given to the 'dear old dairy farmers'.
It is very unlikely that the 'artificially inflated' end price was as high as the 'real' price of the dairy products (ie the price they would be without their enormous subsidies) - so it's hardly a big deal where cost to the consumers is concerned, I reckon.
The real issue is supermarket dominance, and I feel that IS a big problem.
But after the amount of criticism i have come under for trying to explain why it is not good to be casual and have a short-term view, when it comes to forming an opinion about that....
It seems to me that a lot of people will encourage supermarket dominance when it has selfish benefits (perceived convenience and cheap price benefits), often mocking those who try to explain that once supermarkets have demolished the competition they will have a clear road for as many price hikes as they want, and who try to advocate that people would be well advised to consider that.... but even so, many of them will turn around and complain then all the same, when they are caught by the negative side of it as outlined above.
If hordes of people choose to shop at supermarkets instead of smaller shops in order to save enough money every week to have broadband internet, Sky TV and/or a steady supply of fancy pre-made fags, causing those local businesses to close from lack of demand ...... well, what did they think would happen as a result of that ?
I'm not saying that everybody who shops in supermarkets is like that, but it seems clear to me that mobs of them ARE like that, and there seem to be enough people like that, that they are probably the main driving force in the market where this is concerned.
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