NFU bosses in talks with Muller over milk crisis

Showdown talks were being staged at Shropshire's biggest dairy today in a last-ditch bid to end the milk crisis.

Top national farming officials were meeting bosses at Muller's UK headquarters in Market Drayton to try to hammer out a deal to head off price cuts due to come into effect in just five days. Farmers say they will lose out on every pint they produce.

The cuts – taking 1.7p per litre off the price the Muller-owned Robert Wiseman Dairy pays farmers for their milk – have sparked a series of blockades at the site.

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Farmers say the new prices mean thousands of them could be forced out of business.

Adam Quinney, vice-president of the National Farmers' Union, was due in Market Drayton this afternoon for the talks.

Muller, the German yoghurt giant, owns Robert Wiseman Dairies, which plans to cut the amount it pays for a litre of milk to less than 25p from August 1, despite it costing farmers around 30p to produce it.

Mr Quinney said today: "I hope to have a productive discussion with Muller."

Rob Alderson, the county's NFU leader, said: "These protests are a last resort for a lot of farmers." But he warned that if the cuts did go ahead, farmers would be stepping up their campaign.

On Sunday 500 people protested outside the two Shropshire sites, while similar demonstrations took place around the country.

Farmers have also been leafletting shoppers outside Morrisons and Asda stores in Shrewsbury and Telford.

Yesterday Jim Paice, the agriculture minister, held a meeting with bosses from Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland. On Tuesday he met bosses of Aldi and the Food and Drink Federation.

The meetings follow a voluntary agreement thrashed out between farmers and dairy processors at the Royal Welsh Show this week.

However, the agreement does not end the current threat of price cuts due to come into force next Wednesday.

Muller was not available for comment.

By Andrew Owen