UK – First Milk chief executive John Duncan has written to 20 of the leading supermarkets and retailers, asking for their support for a two pence (three euro cents) per litre price rise across all stocked British dairy products.

He is adamant that market forces point to such a rise, and is trying to hurry the rise through before 1 October, a break point in the co-ops annual milk contracts.

“I have a clear remit to do all that is necessary to get the price up by this amount,” he said. “The message from our producers is loud and clear – they support our negotiating stance and want to know, if we are not successful for any reason, where the blockages are to be found.”