Dairy farmers protest in Shropshire at unfair prices

Farmers for Action Chairman David Handley says farmers are not receiving benefits of higher prices
Farmers for Action Chairman David Handley says farmers are not receiving benefits of higher prices

Hundreds of members of Farmers For Action attended a meeting at the Market Drayton Livestock Market.

The rally, which took place on Sunday 7 August, is part of its campaign to ensure dairy farmers get their fair share of the recent increase in milk prices.

After two years of declines, the global value of milk has finally begun to turn around.

But David Handley, of Farmers for Action, said higher milk prices are not being passed down to producers, he urged members to assemble yesterday to protest.


Mr Handley said: "We have been contacted by several milk producers concerned that their milk price is not increasing in line with demand.

"This is your opportunity to come along and voice your opinions, we need huge numbers to make things happen, so pass the message around and together by showing solidarity, we can achieve our aim.

"Large turnout = success, low turnout = failure. Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. Remember, it is your choice, your organisation, your industry.

Muller and its September milk price

The protest went ahead mainly due to dairy farmers urging Muller to increase its September milk prices.

The NFU called on Müller to explain why the company is not increasing it in line with 'extremely positive' market signals for UK milk prices to its suppliers.

It has led the the union to condemn the decision, which it says is "beggars belief".

"Yes, its farmgate milk price remains competitive but this is only due to the continuing support of retailers with their minimum farmgate pricing mechanism, currently paying around 3ppl," said NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes.

He said that Müller’s non-aligned suppliers – estimated at around a third of its 1,900 farmer suppliers – would be frustrated that they were not seeing the benefits of a market that was starting to experience positive price movements after two years of downturn.