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Unions demand reversal of milk price cuts

A number of farming unions have demanded that recent cuts in the price of milk be reversed before UK dairy farmers meet in London next week.

Unions are considering protests and disruption of supplies in response to price cuts which are driving small dairies out of business.

David Handley from Farmers for Action told the BBC: “We are in desperation street”, while the National Farmers’ Union has pledged to support any peaceful and legal action.

In recent years hundreds of farmers have gone out of business, with the recent price cuts by milk processors bringing the issue to a head.

The National Farmer’s Union and the Tenant Farmers Association have called on dairy farmers to turn out “in force” in London next Wednesday to a “crisis summit” to raise awareness of the issue.

In January Robert Wiseman Britain’s biggest fresh milk company was purchased by European dairy giant Muller, which cut the price of a litre of milk in June by 2p and plans to cut it again by 1.7p in August.

This would mean that the standard litre price would be 24.73p, well below the cost of producing milk.

Other UK milk processors have also recently announced price cuts.

Mr Handley added: “There are a number of things we are working on, such as disrupting the milk supply.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .