Video: Milk price summit looms as farmers raid supermarket shelves

Protesters have been taking part in the Milk Trolley Challenges, blockading distribution centres and even bringing cattle into supermarkets to raise awareness of their plight.

The challenge sees farmers removing all cartons of milk from shops including Asda, Morrisons and Lidl before paying for it and taking it away, or dumping it at the checkout. Footage captured by BBC Look North today shows one raid at Asda in Harrogate.

Milk prices have been falling steadily - with Arla announcing a price cut of 0.8p per litre, taking the standard litre price to 23.01p for its UK members.

Farmers estimate that it costs between 30 and 32p to produce each litre of milk - meaning some are losing almost 10p per litre.

A survey of milk drinkers found they would be willing to pay £1.28 for four pints of milk. Supermarket prices currently range from 89p to £1.

The four main farming unions, the NFU Cymru, the NFU, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers Union, will meet with farmers in London to discuss the issue.

David Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action (FFA), is attending the summit, which will also examine prices paid to arable and lamb farmers.

“This weekend has been very busy in terms of Milk Trolley Challenges and there was a major protest last night outside an Asda distribution centre in Wigan,” Mr Handley said.

“It is, purely and simply, to keep piling the pressure on to the retailers and to the food service sector. This is all in their hands.

“They can do something about the current issues that face the industry.

“We are not asking them to put prices up to shoppers, we are saying there is such a margin between the farmgate price and the price the retailers are charging customers.

“Their response is there’s too much milk, they give every excuse under the sun.

“We understand it is difficult for retailers at the moment but that is their problem, not ours and we don’t understand why the British farming industry should pick up the tab.

“This isn’t farmers crying wolf, they fear for their future and for the future of their children.

“There is sheer desperation. People are so, so desperate.”

Mr Handley, from Monmouth, said his family farm with an 140-strong herd had seen £50,000 wiped from its profits since last May.

“That’s £50,000 that has been committed to other things - trying to make a living and the infrastructure of keeping a dairy herd, which is very expensive,” he added.

“Each month we are getting a letter saying ‘sorry your price is less’. We are a small family farm, we have had cows for 30 years.

“We have been told we are very good at what we do, we produce Red Tractor products and we are facing selling our cows.

“That’s the harsh reality of it.”

Mr Handley said there were 24,000 dairy farmers in the UK 15 years ago but that number has now dropped to 10,000.

“If people carry on leaving the industry we will be down to 5,000 in the next five years,” Mr Handley added.

“From a consumer point of view that is very, very bad news.”

Speaking before the summit, NFU president Meurig Raymond told the BBC the situation had became a “crisis”.

“In dairy, many milk producers have seen price cut after price cut,” he said.

“It’s simply not sustainable for any farmer to continue to produce milk if they’re selling it at a loss.”

Farming unions have called for ministers to hold a joint meeting with them to find solutions to the problems facing farmers.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “We maintain a regular dialogue with farming unions and industry. We look forward to discussing these issues with them further.”

A Morrisons spokesman said: “We are disappointed with the disruption being caused to our stores and our customers.

“We recognise that the current issue is being caused by a reduction in global demand for milk that has led to an over-supply in the UK and very difficult conditions for many dairy farmers.

“We want to reiterate that we are not seeking any further reductions in milk prices and we will continue our talks with the NFU, in a constructive manner, to finalise our agreed plan of action.”

A spokeswoman for Lidl added that the supermarket is “working very closely” with the NFU, as well as farm assurance schemes such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Freedom Food.

“We are proud to say that 100% of our fresh milk is British, and that 100% of our own label fresh beef, pork and chicken are also British,” she added.

“With a strong European presence, we also export several thousand tonnes of British cheese every year to 26 different countries.

“Naturally, we are concerned about the challenges faced by British farmers currently as a result of volatility in global market conditions.

“As such, we have pricing mechanisms in place which are monitored at regular intervals during the contract period to reflect market fluctuations and to ensure that our farmers continue to be paid a fair and accurate market price.

“Our cost prices are in no way linked to our retail prices and any reductions in retail prices are absorbed by Lidl.”