Farmers have stepped up their protests against supermarkets’ cuts in payments for milk, blockading a Morrisons distribution centre with tractors.
The protests come after famers urged consumers not to buy milk at Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Asda because three major milk processors – Arla, First Milk and Dairy Crest – all said they would cut the price they pay farmers.
Farmers have been protesting in UK supermarkets all week, but action was cranked up on Thursday night despite legal threats from supermarkets.
Up to 300 farmers protested at the Morrisons distribution centre in Bridgwater. They used tractors to blockade the entrance on the M5, preventing delivery vehicles from reaching the depot.
A Morrisons spokesperson said the dairy farmers were feeling the effects of a reduction in global demand for milk and that it wanted to continue negotiations with the NFU farmers’ union. The spokesperson said: “We are disappointed with the disruption being caused to our stores and our customers.
“We recognise that the current issue is being caused by a reduction in global demand for milk that has led to an oversupply in the UK and very difficult conditions for many dairy farmers. We want to reiterate that we are not seeking any further reductions in milk prices and we will continue our talks with the NFU, in a constructive manner, to finalise our agreed plan of action.”
Farmers for Action has held other protests outside Morrisons distribution centres and carried out a number of “trolley dashes”, in which farmers clear supermarket shelves of milk and give it to charities. A nationwide day of action is planned for Friday.
In a video of a protest in Wincanton, a group of men are shown conducting a trolley dash. The video was posted on Facebook by user Tim Hiscock, accompanied by the comment “Morrisons Wincanton, you have been milked”.
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers has warned that the latest price cuts will force more farmers into bankruptcy. About 1,000 dairy farmers have left the industry over the past two years, with three to four farmers giving up each week, saying that they can no longer make milk production work financially, the association said.
The current price at Tesco for a two-pint (1.136 litre) carton of milk is 75p. It charged 89p in 2012.
Asda is selling its four-pint cartons for 89p this week. Back in 2012, when protests last hit the headlines, the price for a four-pint carton was on promotion at £1. Aldi also currently charges 89p for four pints.
Source: The Guardian