Processors told increase prices or face protests

August 16th, 2013

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Category: Dairy

(Farmers Weekly) – Dairy processors must increase milk prices by 1 September or face further farmer protests, David Handley has warned.

The Farmers For Action (FFA) chairman said processors should be returning higher milk prices to farmers on the back of improved market returns.

“It’s obvious that the market is not working,” he told Farmers Weekly. “My advice to dairy farmers is that by 1 September, if you have not got a price increase, you should be out there saying ‘we are not accepting this anymore’.”

Mr Handley attacked Arla and said as a farmer-owned co-operative it should realise farmers could not run sustainable businesses with current milk prices. FFA had recently signed up five Danish Arla suppliers, he added.

The dairy giant has repeatedly been targeted by farmer protesters this summer, and in July Arla issued a statement accusing protestors of harming the livelihoods of their fellow milk producers.

In response to the threat of further protests, an Arla spokesman said: “Our farmer representatives have already issued a statement questioning the motive of farmers protesting against a farmer-owned business and we have nothing more to add.”

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