Farmers issue Shropshire milk shortages warning

Dairy farmers today warned of further blockades and possible milk shortages in Shropshire unless processors agree to reverse price cuts imposed earlier this year.

Paul Rowbottom, a Farmers for Action member who helped co-ordinate blockades at Muller and Robert Wiseman Dairies in Market Drayton last month, said farmers have so far scored only a partial victory.

He said it was positive that key dairy companies had scrapped cuts of about 2p per litre, which were due to take effect this month.

But he said farmers now want to up the ante until price cuts that were imposed between April and June are reversed too.

He said: "It's positive that in recent days we've seen a massive change in the industry, but scrapping the August price cuts alone won't be our saviour.

"It's a major step in the right direction because dairy farming was going down the pan.

"The processors and supermarkets need to talk to us about reversing the cuts from earlier this year.

"That 2p a litre also needs to come back to the producer.

"The supermarkets and processors know what they need to do - they need to give some of their profit back to producers and they can do it without putting up prices on the shelf.

"But if they want to fight us over this, then bring it on.

"We are trying to be careful during the Olympics so we don't cause any disruption, but once the games are over there could be bigger protests, round-the-clock blockades and milk shortages in shops if things don't change."

At the end of July Robert Wiseman Dairies, owned by Muller, became the last of the big three milk firms to scrap cuts set for August 1.

However, a statement from the company did not say what would happen in the longer term.

NFU president Peter Kendall said talks with dairy companies would continue.

See also:

• Dairy farmers to keep naming and shaming

• Mid Wales dairy farmers delay fight

• Shropshire farmers hail victory over milk price cuts