Milking it: Following widespread protests, dairy farmers to hold summit over milk prices

Dairy cows were taken into a branch of Asda during demonstration by farmers

In a Stafford branch of Asda, customers this weekend were shocked to see a pair of dairy cattle driven into the supermarket by 70 irate farmers protesting the falling price of milk.

The move was the latest demonstration by British dairy farmers against supermarkets’ price cuts to milk, which has seen prices fall to 23p a litre.

Farmers say it costs between 30 – 32p a litre to produce milk.

NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “The situation many of our members are experiencing has become a crisis.

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

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

In recent weeks, farmers have also been protesting by buying up supermarkets’ entire milk stock, or piling it high in trolleys and leaving it all at checkouts.

Farming unions from across Britain have said they will hold an “urgent” summit to discuss what can be done about the situation.

Pictures of the cows in Asda were published on Twitter:

Fair play to the famers taking cows into @asda Stafford to protest about milk prices pic.twitter.com/AsA5IGw8SS

— Ben Stewart (@RealBenStewart) August 9, 2015

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