Farmers' group to meet in Market Drayton over milk prices
Farmers were meeting in Shropshire tonight to thrash out a scheme to get firms to increase the price they pay for milk.
Campaign group Farmers For Action has not ruled out more protest action and will discuss the situation at the Market Drayton Cattle Market at 8pm tonight.
It comes after a year-long battle where farmers claim they are not making any money in the industry – and, in many cases, are seeing a loss on every pint of milk they produce.
From June 1 farmers supplying Market Drayton-based Muller Wiseman will receive an extra penny, taking the value to 31.5p per litre.
The company is one of a number of businesses which have increased the price paid for milk over the past year.
But farmers say it will still leave them short of the current cost of milk production, which they say stands at 32p a litre.
Paul Rowbottom, from Farmers for Action, said: "The meeting tonight is a big meeting to give everybody an update on where we are up to.
"And then we'll see what action everybody wants to take.
"We are hoping it will be full," he continued.
"We will talk about what is happening with the milk price, what is going on with the industry and what we do about it.
"There is a chance of more action straight away."
In July last year hundreds of farmers from across the Midlands held a series of protests outside the Market Drayton headquarters of diary giants Muller and Wiseman Dairy.
Tractors and lorries were used to block the entrances to the two Market Drayton firms, stopping lorries from leaving.
Organisers of Farmers For Action said at the time that 500 people had taken part in the blockades, which was part of a co-ordinated night of demonstrations nationwide.
Blockades were also set up in Bridgwater, Somerset and Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.
But since October, the price has risen 5p per litre.
