Dairy farmers vow more action over milk prices
Dairy farmers have pledged to once again take to the streets to protest about the price they are paid for milk in the coming weeks.
They are warning about the prospect of blockades and demonstrations outside dairies and processing plants as there has been no rise in the amount they are paid since December.
It follows a summer of discontent in which the Müller Wiseman Dairy in Market Drayton was blockaded several times.
The yoghurt and desert company pay farmers 30.5 pence per litre for milk, which they agreed in November following the protests. They are one of a number of companies across the country being pressured about the price offered to local farmers. But action groups said they had expected more of an increase by now. Paul Rowbottom, a Shropshire representative for Farmers for Action, said it is still not enough.
He said: "We have been working closely with the NFU and let the market work, unfortunately nothing has happened and as a result there will be more action next week.
"The cost of production is about 33.5ppl but some people are earning about 30ppl.
"We have got to be looking at 35ppl as a base price, across the board, cream, butter, cheese, whatever the milk is used for."
Farmers have said over the past year that it is very difficult to make a living out of the industry and they are becoming increasingly reliant on benefits and charity.
During 2012 the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution gave out a total of £112,000 to help 67 farming families in the county. The money pays for things like food tokens, television license fees and replacement household items.
So far this year the charity has given £14,000 to 21 families in Shropshire.
Mr Rowbottom added: "The problem is there is no grass anywhere, people are in a worse position now than they were last year. Everything has gone up and we haven't even got to the cost of production that we have been harping on about for months. We know the money is there, it just needs to come and filter back."
