Aldi announces 28ppl minimum milk price

It comes two days after farmers had not ruled out the possibility of continued protests against other supermarkets as Morrisons announced the premium from a new milk brand will go directly to the dairy industry. It costs dairy farmers 28p per litre to produce milk, but since the supermarkets have slashed their milk prices they are only being paid 21p per litre, meaning they are operating at a loss.

Supermarket chain Asda is set to join Morrisons in increasing the price of its milk to 28p per litre for its entire range of liquid milk.

Farmers estimate that it costs between 30 and 32p to produce a litre of milk, but the average price paid across the UK is 23.66p – following a drop of 25% in a year.

Britain’s struggling dairy farmers have been offered some respite after a string of supermarkets bowed to pressure to improve the amount they paid processors for milk.

We will have the choice to buy milk at the current low price, or the same product but in a different bottle, for 10p more.

In protests across the country, demonstrators blockaded distribution centres, stripped shop shelves, and even traipsed cattle through supermarkets.

“It is important to note that the retail price of our milk is not linked in any way to the price we pay processors”.

Meurig Raymond, the NFU president, has called on retailers and processors to take action and has asked for a meeting with ministers to discuss the plight of both dairy and livestock farmers.

James Hoskin, a local dairy farmer whose farm went out of business five years ago, arranged the evening’s protest after being inspired by the other national demonstrations.

“We’ve grabbed their attention, now it’s time to educate people a bit more”, said Settle farmer and demonstrator Craig Booth.

“What we need, across the board, is a guaranteed minimum price, but we as farmers have to play our part and keep a close check on production”, he added.

DAIRY farmers have warned that drastic changes need to be made within a matter of weeks to the price of milk to save the industry.

The firm could not disclose how much of an increase this represented, but said the increase would be passed back to farm level.

The decisions follow a series of protests in supermarkets across our region, as well as talks with farming unions. “We will continue conversations with Aldi as to its position on cheese and other dairy products”.

Morrisons has this week announced the launch of a new line of milk which will be 10p more expensive with the extra money going directly to the producers. “This price is updated every three months to ensure a fair deal for the farmers involved”.