Hundreds of Shropshire farmers to meet over milk price row

Campaign group Farmers For Action (FFA) has announced the event in Market Drayton will feature representatives from the National Farmers Union and the Tenant Farmers Association.

FFA chairman David Handley said: "We have been doing a lot of work over the last three months with the NFU and the TFA and we now feel it's the right time to call a meeting.

"We are going to update farmers on the position we think we are at and what we can do about it.

"We want to get the feel of whether activity out of the normal, like protesting, is required. We want to know what people will support."

The meeting follows months of unstable milk prices and protests from farmers who feel they are no longer getting a fair price for their milk.

Market Drayton-based Muller Wiseman is to cut the price it pays to farmers for their milk by 1p to 23.15 pence per litre (ppl) from August 1 – the first time in five months that Muller UK & Ireland has changed the price it pays for milk.

Arla Foods announced that its suppliers will see their prices cut by 1.18p to 23.81ppl while dairy-owned co-operative First Milk has also cut its price by 1ppl.

Dairy Crest, however, announced farmers on a Davidstow contract will receive 26.42ppl from August, an increase of 0.25ppl, although that will not benefit farmers in most parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the firm also revealed the liquid milk price paid to farmers supplying all or a proportion of their milk on a standard liquid contract will continue to be 23.09ppl. The organic liquid milk price will also stay unchanged, the firm said.

The meeting is at Market Drayton Livestock Market on July 16 at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.