Plans to build a £44m farmer- controlled cheddar cheese plant in Cumbria this summer have slipped as the Dutch-led consortium spearheading the project struggles to secure commitment from local farmers.
Construction was due to begin on the plant at Lakeland Dairy Park in Workington by the beginning of July, but Partners in Cheese (PiC) has not yet reached the target 150m litres of milk a year needed. Although PiC's md Ronald Akkerman said he was confident of signing up around 100 farmers by the end of July, industry observers are sceptical.
One said: "Akkerman has certainly had active discussions with a lot of farmers and I think they have probably given him a positive response, but when it comes to getting them to sign on the dotted line it concentrates the mind.
"They are having to prise farmers away from Dairy Crest and Wiseman," the source added.
Both companies are believed to be exerting pressure on suppliers not to desert them for the potentially higher prices offered by PiC.
The National Farmers' Union is encouraging members to study the offer in depth. "It looks a very exciting prospect, but also a very risky one," said NFU spokesman for the north-west Carl Hudspith.
Planning permission has already been agreed for the plant and funding is largely in place. Akkerman said he had a number of high profile farmers supporting the project and also insisted that he had "sufficient sales commitment lined up". But he is trying to win over an industry that has had its fingers burned by previous high-profile failures, including Amelca and the Westbury dairy.