British dairy farmers blockade depots in protest

Last night, more than 1,000 dairy farmers blockaded milk-processing plants in protest against recent price cuts.  According to the National Farmers’ Union dairy board, the recent 2p decrease will mean that the dairy farmers receive less than the cost of production.  The demonstrations, organized by Farmers For Action (FFA), targeted major processors including Arla’s centres in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire and Leeds, and more than 400 farmers and 70 tractors blockaded the Robert Wiseman Dairy in Bridgwater, Somerset.

A number of celebrity chefs, including Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, have supported the dairy farmers’ plight encouraging consumers to boycott retailers who don’t pay fair prices for their milk.  They issued a joint statement condemning retailers who were paying less than production cost for a litre of milk. “It’s time supermarkets stopped using milk as a loss leader.  And if they won’t take that initiative, then perhaps consumers will consider moving their custom from those who offer milk at crazy knockdown prices to those who will commit to giving dairy famers a fairer deal,” the pair said in their statement.

Speaking from outside the Arla plant in Leeds, farmer, Stephen Britten says: “If things don’t change there’ll be a lot of farmers go out of business in the next twelve months.”  Dairy farmers can only hope that the strength of feeling generated from last night’s demonstrations will make a difference. – Reporting by Fiona Cowan