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Dairy producers to dump more milk

- 08 March 2000
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8 March 2000



Dairy producers to dump more milk

By FWi staff

DAIRY farmers are pledging further action after dumping thousands of gallons of milk on fields in protest at the slump in prices.

Fifty farmers sprayed milk worth an estimated 8000 from 20 slurry tankers on to land at Raglan, Monmouthshire, early on Wednesday (8 March).

The move has angered some people in the industry, who believe the protest will attract adverse publicity. But other farmers are preparing more protests.

Jim Walker, president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland, warned that dumping milk would do nothing to improve prices in the depressed sector.

“Its just not a sensible option,” he said, in a bid to stop similar protests in Scotland.

“All it will do is cause irritation among consumers and customers.”

Mr Walkers comments came as an estimated 250 farmers in Carmarthen pledged to dump more milk and picket supermarkets over the coming weeks.

The farmers claim that they are being driven out of business by dairy processors paying low milk prices which have dropped to 15ppl.

Producers believe that dumping their milk will draw attention to their plight and encourage dairy processors to raise their prices.

Farmers from south-west England are also preparing a series of high-profile blockades against milk processing plants across Britain later this month.

Outspoken farmers leader Richard Haddock suggested that producers would start picketing the plants during a week of protest beginning on 20 March.

“It will be a week of lightning actions at bottling plants and supermarket depots,” he told a farmers meeting in Devon.

Mr Haddock said he wanted support from tanker drivers who, he claims, are worried that the farm crisis will have a knock-on affect on their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, other farmers have met dairy processors and supermarket bosses in the hope that higher milk prices can be negotiated.

Somerset farmer Derek Mead believes the retail price of milk should be increased by 12ppl, which should be passed directly back to producers.

But any formal agreement along those lines would be open to criticism by the Competition Commission because it could be alleged to be anti-competitive.

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