Morrisons to launch milk brand to help farmers
SUPERMARKET Morrisons is to launch a new milk brand selling at a premium which it says will go direct to the crisishit dairy industry.
The chain has been one of the main targets for protesters from the industry who have stripped milk from the shelves before dumping the produce or giving it away for free.
Industry leaders met Morrisons bosses to try to tackle falling milk prices which, the National Farmers Union (NFU) says, will lead to dairy farmers being forced to leave the industry in the next few weeks as they struggle to pay bills and face rising debts.
NFU president Meurig Raymond and Rob Harrison, chairman of the NFU dairy board, joined campaign group Farmers For Action at a meeting with the supermarket in Birmingham. Afterwards Morrisons corporate services director Martyn Jones said: “We will be launching a milk brand that allows customers to pay a little more if they want to support British farmers.
“Called Morrisons Milk for Farmers, this product will sell at a 10p per litre premium to the standard Morrisons milk price.”
He added: “All of that premium will go directly back to the farmers that supply our processor Arla. It will go into stores in the autumn and is aimed at shoppers who want to directly support dairy farmers.”
Asked if farmers’ protests against retailers and supermarkets would continue, David Handley of Farmers For Action said direct action would be maintained – although not against Morrisons.
The four main farming unions, the NFU, the NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers Union, held an emergency summit in London on Monday to develop an action plan to tackle falling milk, lamb and arable prices.
Farmers estimate that it costs between 30p and 32p to produce a litre of milk but the average price paid across the UK is 23.66p – following a drop of 25 per cent in a year.
Morrisons will launch the new milk brand in October.