LONDON: Dairy farmers across the UK continued their protest against the low price paid by most supermarkets, which they alleged did not even cover the production costs, by stripping their shelves and in some cases simply abandoning the trolleys full of milk near the checkout or buying it in bulk and distributing it for free outside.
Arla, Britain’s biggest milk co-operative, recently announced a price cut of 0.8 p per litre resulting in the standard litre price dipping to 23.01p, further worsening the woes of the farmers.
According to British dairy organisation AHDB Dairy, the production cost of milk varies anywhere between 30 and 32p to per litre.
Figures published by AHDB Dairy show the average UK farm gate price was 24.06p per litre in May, a decrease of 25.4 percent of the amount paid to farmers in May last year.
A spokeswoman said: “Anecdotally, farmers are putting the costs of production at around 30-32 pence per litre, which demonstrates that for some, the price they receive will not cover what it costs them to produce the milk.”
The protests by the dairy farmers has gained momentum through social media, has already seen shelves stripped in stores in Gloucestershire, Cornwall and Devon.
Farmers in Telford told the Shropshire Star they are ‘treated so badly by supermarkets, they may as well give it [the milk] away’.
More proposed challenges are reportedly being planned in Clitheroe in Lancashire and Cheshire.
Last week, Morrisons and Lidl in Yate, south Gloucestershire were targeted by protesters who proclaimed: “We’re doing the Milk Trolley Challenge.”
The protest is over the unfair drop in milk prices in supermarkets and not paying farmers a fair slice of the profits
There have also been reports of farmers doing the Milk Trolley Challenge in Northern Ireland, where prices have dipped to an average of 19p per litre.
Meurig Raymond, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said: “The market situation in dairy, lamb and many other products is driving farming families to a desperate state with returns from the market failing to cover costs of production.
“Farmers have worked very hard to gain the respect and support of the public for great British food – now farmers simply want and need a fair return for years of investment.
“Given the current situation some farmers have been driven to take direct action; the NFU supports protests that have a proper target and a clear objective. However, we believe that the best way for farmers to get a fairer return would be for consumers to demand British food.”
Citing a NFU survey report, Raymond said 85 percent of people want to see retailers selling more British food.
Justifying the lower milk price, Darren Blackhurst, Morrisons Group Commercial Director, said reduced global demand had created an oversupply of British milk, creating “difficult conditions” for many dairy farmers.
Blackhurst assured that following a meeting with the NFU Dairy Board Chairman, “Morrisons is not accepting any further cost price decreases from our suppliers driven by the falling farm gate milk price”.
Farmer groups claim they are losing 200 pounds a day to produce milk and sell it to supermarkets at rock-bottom prices.
Many among the general public have taken to the social media to show support for the agitating farmers.
