Shropshire farmers set for crunch meeting on price of milk
Up to 800 farmers are to stage a crunch meeting in Shropshire to discuss possible action to get milk companies to further increase the price they pay for milk.
Several leading dairy companies - including Market Drayton's Muller Wiseman and Tesco - last week anounced a hike in the price they pay farmers for milk, taking it to around 29.5p per litre.
But farmers say it now costs them up to 31p to produce each litre and have not ruled out further protests following a summer of blockades.
It is thought up to 800 farmers could turn out to the meeting at Market Drayton cattle market on Thursday, October 4, hosted by the National Farmers Union and Farmers For Action.
Paul Rowbottom, the Farmers for Action representative in Shropshire, said it was an initial meeting to gather thoughts and ideas about the dairy industry.
He said: "We will be discussing action we need to take.
"There will be representatives from the NFU there, but we are not sure who yet, and David Handley from Farmers For Action will also be there.
"Up to 800 farmers could turn up but we will have to wait and see.
"This has been called because production prices have gone up.
"We will still be seeking meetings with bosses at dairy companies to see if they will put their prices up but if that does not happen we cannot rule out more protest action."
