NFU’s backing for milk price protests

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has announced that it will back any plans for peaceful demonstrations against the latest round of cuts which many have warned will force hundreds of dairy farmers out of business.

Farmers are angry at the latest round of cuts of up to 2p per litre, which come on top of similar cuts in the spring, recently announced by major milk processors.

The cuts would see them losing tens of thousands of pounds at a time when they are also facing rising feed costs and the impacts of having to keep cows inside in the bad weather.

The Farmers for Action campaign group has already make public its intention to carry out blockades of retailers and to disrupt the transport of milk. Now the NFU has added its weight to the plans, saying it hopes to bring shame on those who have brought about the cuts.

Deputy President Meurig Raymond said: “The price cuts must be rescinded by August 1, and if this doesn’t happen, then we will support and facilitate targeted demonstrations outside processors and retailers.

“We will also mobilise the public with a concerted consumer campaign to help them understand the crisis facing the dairy industry and we will be asking them for their support.

“All this co-ordinated action will be designed to put pressure and bring shame on the retailers and processors who have caused this crisis in the British dairy industry.

“We are still hopeful of agreement on a voluntary code of best practice in contracts, to bring some balance to the relationship between farmers and processors, but before long we have to ramp up our lobbying of Parliament to introduce statutory powers.”

In the last two weeks Robert Wiseman Dairies, owned by Müller Dairies, Arla Foods UK, the UK subsidiary of Arla Foods Amba, as well as Dairy Crest, announced cuts to their milk prices paid to farmers as of August 1 of 1.7ppl, 2.0ppl and 1.65ppl respectively, following further significant cuts in recent months.

Earlier this week nearly 3,000 dairy farmers, including hundreds from Yorkshire, packed Central Hall Westminster in London in a rally call against the cuts.

Farming minister Jim Paice attended the meeting and, while saying it was not the Government’s job to fix milk prices, repeated his long-standing call for a voluntary code for the industry to be adopted.

He said: “What we are determined to do is do everything we can to make the market work more fairly and rebalance the power in the market place.

“I will continue to use my position to bang heads together, to encourage and cajole the whole of the supply chain to take responsibility for this situation.”

Research from the NFU reveals 62 per cent of the British public would pay an extra 5p per pint of milk to ensure dairy farmers received a fair price.