Farmers in ‘milk war’ against supermarkets
Depots are blockaded in protest at price cuts
FARMERS last night threatened an all-out ‘milk war’ to disrupt supermarket deliveries amid fury over price cuts imposed by store bosses and dairy giants. Hundreds of angry farmers blockaded dairies and supermarket distribution centres yesterday, with more protests planned to prevent deliveries to shops within days.
Protest leaders from Farmers For Action said members will start pouring milk down the drain if a threat to impose another cut comes in on August 1.
Last night, the Co-op bowed to pressure and agreed to increase the price it pays to farmers.
Now the pressure is on Asda, Morrisons and budget chains Aldi and Iceland to follow suit.
Farmers supplying these stores earn around 25p a litre, which is below the cost of production at around 29p a litre. By contrast, the price paid by families in the supermarkets is 44p to 60p.
Dairy processing giants Arla Foods, Dairy Crest and Robert Wiseman are at the centre of the protests. FFA chairman David Handley said: ‘If these stores and processors continue to dig their heels in, we will have no choice but to carry out more protests.
‘We will escalate action. The ultimate sacrifice will be a total disruption of supply from August 1. Farmers will not sell milk to people who refuse to pay a price that covers the cost of production. The milk will go down the drain.’
The news that the Co-op was to increase the minimum price it pays to 29p was welcomed by the National Farmers’ Union. Its president, Peter Kendall, said: ‘We need to see all retailers and major buyers step up to the plate. We have yet to see substantial moves from either Asda or Morrisons.’
The two supermarkets are in a price war. Morrisons is selling four pints for 98p, or 43p a litre.
Farm minister Jim Paice said: ‘Supermarkets have to account for why they are using milk as a loss leader. These price cuts are a severe blow for dairy farmers.’
However, Mr Handley said: ‘There are some government departments as ruthless at buying milk as some supermarkets – the NHS in particular.’ Around 550 farmers have already used tractors to blockade a Robert Wiseman Dairy plant in Bridgwater, Somerset, and a nearby Morrisons distribution centre. Hundreds more picketed Arla plants in Ashby- de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, and Leeds.
Farmer Anthony Rew, from Newton Abbot, Devon, said: ‘This summer has been terrible.’
The number of British dairy farmers has fallen from 17,000 to 11,000 since 2004, while many more are on the verge of quitting.
Wyke, the UK’s largest independent cheese and milk processor, has warned of a long-term threat to home-produced milk, with poor weather this summer meaning many farmers will not have grown enough fodder to feed their herds this winter.
Chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall want the public to boycott some supermarkets over their milk policy.
However, the British Retail Consortium said some supermarkets paid well for milk.
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