Far East upturn in milk sales may save struggling Shropshire dairy farmers, claims NFU

More than 200 farmers met at Staffordshire County Showground, in Bingley Hall, to discuss the price of milk in supermarkets and sales abroad.

Richard Yates, chairman of the Shropshire National Farmers Union, who also has his own dairy herd in Middleton Scriven, near Bridgnorth, said the industry remained in real crisis.

But he said there was a glimmer of hope prices had stabilised and could improve by the autumn. Farmers For Action has been pushing for fair milk prices for dairy farmers, pressuring processors to stabilise prices before pushing for an increase.

The Farmers' Union of Wales and the NFU previously warned of further falls in milk prices when the EU quota system, which governs how much milk each country can sell, comes to an end in April.

Mr Yates added: "There was a good turnout of about 230 concerned producers from across the Midlands and into Wales.

"We are an industry in crisis and we had farmers with herds varying from 50 up to 1,000 who all raised concerns.

"There is a point of optimism about the decline in milk prices and the drop has hopefully stabilised.

"Another crumb of optimism on the horizon is there could be an upturn in milk sales by the autumn. China is currently dumping milk because it has so much but hopefully by the autumn the Far East will start buying again."

Mr Yates said it appeared farmers had the backing of the public, who could see discounted prices milk on the supermarket's shelves were not helping anyone.

"The prices are totally devaluing our wonderful product," he said.

He added: "We can try and hang until the autumn but some of our farmers will not be here by that time, depending on what pressures they are under from the banks.

"Some farmers have not received a milk cheque at all this month.

"The Chinese are one of the major buyers in the global market and we hope there is a real need for extra consumption from China and the Far East.

"There is certainly little chance the British government will do anything to help us.

"It was explained at the meeting the dairy industry tends to go three cycles.

"At the moment we are suffering a severe depression, which had been made even worse because we've fallen from such a great height, when things were going well.

"If things do continue as they are there is a real chance Britain will no longer have a viable dairy industry, which is why we're doing all we can to fight it."