IT was so sad to read of yet another company closing after 90 years in business, with jobs losses of 250 or more (Dairy to close – 250 jobs at risk, Hunts Post, April 18).

You wonder how this could happen as we all drink milk. Is it because of large supermarkets pay less to our dairy farmers than it costs them to produce the milk?

Many small farmers are having to sell up after generations because of the large supermarkets whose only thought is for large profits.

Currently just three companies supply British milk to supermarkets. Already this year there have been two planning applications submitted for industrial-scale dairy farming operations. The future seems to be for huge, mega-farms where 4,000 to 8,000 cows will live in industrial sheds, never to see the light of day. This is already happening in America.

Cows live happily in hers of 20-30. To put them in sheds of this size to me is wrong – it’s cruelty beyond belief.

It will be a sad day when we can no longer look out at cows grazing on the fields.

For many years small farms have been the backbone of this country. We must support our small dairy farmers and stop cows being housed in mega-farms. We must pay a few pence more and look for the little red tractor on our milk.

Our traditional countryside will never be the same again if just one of these mega-farms gets planning permission. Up to 80 small farms will go out of business and this is too high a price to pay.

MARGARET EASTON

Edinburgh Drive

St Ives