Milk protests return to Shropshire's Muller dairy
Sixty farmers from across the region blockaded dairy giant Muller Wiseman in Shropshire as the row over milk prices intensified.
The farmers stood united outside the entrance to the Muller factory in Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton, preventing lorries from leaving.
Organisers Farmers For Action said 60 people took part in last night's protest, which was hastily organised following rumours supermarket giant Sainsbury's had agreed to increase the price it pays for milk by 1.97 pence per litre.
Farmers For Action is warning the low price paid to suppliers by dairy processors, combined with rising feed costs, could force hundreds of dairy farmers out of business.
And they vowed to continue protests outside milk processing plants until they receive a better deal. But Muller warned it would take legal action against protesters.
One of the organisers of last night's protest, Paul Rowbottom said: "We have come out for a major protest outside Muller Wiseman. We believe they have had an increase for milk from Sainsbury's today – a 1.97 pence increase.
"Farmers need more money. There are plenty of farmers out there who are being paid 31 pence per litre when the cost of production, according to Tesco, is 32.5 pence per litre. That is no way to run a business.
"If it carries on like this we are going to have no more British dairy farmers left."
The farmers arrived outside the Muller factory at around 8pm and protested for around four hours before heading to the cafe at the Market Drayton Livestock Market.
James Williams, who farms on the Shropshire/Herefordshire border, attended with his wife Tina.
He said: "We are in a desperate situation. We have got five children and if we don't do something there will not be a dairy farming future for them if they choose to go into it."
Dairy farmer Andrew Bebb, of Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, said: "The milk price is abysmal and is not covering the cost of production. World commodity prices have increased dramatically and we are fed up with having price increases promised to us but never actually delivered."
A statement issued by Muller Wiseman described the farmers as "militants" and warned of legal action.
The statement read: "Further discussions are taking place to ensure that our pricing and contractual offering is appropriate as we head into the autumn and winter."
