Milk price cuts prompt protests
Support is growing for a nationwide protest outside Asda supermarkets on Thursday (23 February) with Farmers For Action giving the move its backing.
Disgruntled dairy farmers who supply processor Arla Foods, which provides nearly all of Asda’s liquid milk, have decided to target the supermarket’s customers following Arla’s decision to cut its milk price by 0.9p/litre during February and March.
Andrew Bebb, who is co-ordinating the protests, said he had received support from across the UK.
Mr Bebb was keen to stress that the protests would be peaceful and non-confrontational and were aimed at informing consumers about the raw deal farmers were getting from their milk buyers.
Shoppers will be shown some basic facts about falling farm-gate prices and then asked to fill in a questionnaire on whether they would be prepared to shop at a different supermarket if they thought farmers were being treated unfairly.
Farmers For Action leader David Handley said the organisation would be throwing its whole weight behind the protests now that Arla suppliers had committed themselves to action.
FFA members would be handing out milk and joining the campaigners outside Asda’s stores, he said.
Copies of the shopper questionnaires and fact sheets are available from Andrew Bebb on 07811 779 557.