Milk price row: Further Shropshire protests are unlikely as long as prices increase in 2017
Further protests are unlikely to happen as long as milk prices continue to increase in the new year, a farming campaigner has claimed.
David Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action, believes the outlook for farmers in 2017 looks more positive than 2016 did 12 months ago.
But he warned more farmers could continue to walk away from the dairy industry, especially those on non-aligned contracts if milk prices do not increase significantly.
It comes after dairy giant Muller, which is based in Market Drayton, announced it is to increase the price it pays farmers for milk by 2.5p per litre in January.
The move, which comes on the back of a recovery in the global value of dairy produce will take the standard price to 25.44p per litre.
That will be accompanied by a retailer supplement of 1.1p in January, taking the overall price paid to farmers on non-aligned contracts to 26.54p.
Mr Handley said: "Milk prices are improving so that has got to be good news. The trouble is they are still lagging behind where they need to be.
"The outlook looks a little bit more positive than 12 months ago.
"But non-aligned producers are struggling. For non-aligned farmers who have not got a supermarket contract, they have got a lot of catching up to do.
"Some are getting 21-23p per litre and they can't survive on that.
"I expect prices to increase over the next few months. Mid-30s before the spring is where they ought to be.
"Processors and retailers remain dominant. Moving forward, we need to work together a lot better than we are at the moment.
"There is unlikely to be any more protests if things keep improving. But one of the problems is we have still got processors holding out and companies like Muller not passing on money. That has got to change going forward."
FFA has been engaging in discussions with Government ministers and civil servants to help shape the post Brexit policy and has set out some of the key elements of what will be required once the UK has left the European Union.
"We have got Brexit coming up. It is a great opportunity which we have to grab with both hands," Mr Handley said.
"All the negative talks about Brexit are bad. Brexit will give young people the opportunity to work without the baggage we have had.
"We have got to be competitive with the rest of the world and capitalise on opportunities that come forward from the global market."
