Action group in backing for dairy farmers

Farmers For Action will visit retailers and members of the food service industry, plus milk processors, in a renewed effort to get a better deal for farmers.

The group says farmers should be seeing money come through to their accounts after this year's protests ended with supermarkets and processors increasing milk prices.

It said they had highlighted the plight of the dairy farmers in their visits.

"Many of them have come to the table, listened, gone away, and have started to deliver some monies to the industry.

"Obviously, not enough and not quick enough but at least they have made an effort. But there are those whom we have met, especially retailers, who have decided to do nothing.

"So the first of them will be put under the spotlight to show we are not prepared to sit back and allow them to get away with not contributing to our current critical situation on milk price. We will also be visiting certain milk processors.

"These individuals have either refused point blank to pay farmers a sustainable milk price or, even worse, have blamed everybody else for them not being able to pass on money, yet we see by their quarterly figures they continue to make profit."

The group has previously warned of fresh winter protests if dairy processors continue "dragging their feet" with payments to farmers.

Arla and Muller have both recently announced increases to the price they give farmers, while Dairy Crest froze one contract and cut another.