Angry milk producers this week blockaded a farmer-owned dairy factory for the first time, closing it down for several hours at a reported cost of £10,000/hour.
Previous pickets have targeted only factories owned by the plc dairy companies.
On Wednesday, farmers with tractors and trailers blocked entrances to Dairy Farmers of Britain’s Fole liquid dairy at Uttoxeter. The action was partly because of DFB’s 0.35ppl reduction and Farmers For Action (FFA) said it was “designed to tell management exactly what farmers feel”.
In a statement expressing DFB’s disappointment over the picket, director of membership Matt Sheehan said: “This type of action against a co-operative business is damaging and counter-productive. It will result in financial cost and damaged relationships with customers. We understand that members are fed up. But we can only pay what we can achieve from the market.”
FFA boss David Handley threatened further action.“We are giving DFB a week to think about things. After that we’ll be back - and at other sites too.”
Previous pickets have targeted only factories owned by the plc dairy companies.
On Wednesday, farmers with tractors and trailers blocked entrances to Dairy Farmers of Britain’s Fole liquid dairy at Uttoxeter. The action was partly because of DFB’s 0.35ppl reduction and Farmers For Action (FFA) said it was “designed to tell management exactly what farmers feel”.
In a statement expressing DFB’s disappointment over the picket, director of membership Matt Sheehan said: “This type of action against a co-operative business is damaging and counter-productive. It will result in financial cost and damaged relationships with customers. We understand that members are fed up. But we can only pay what we can achieve from the market.”
FFA boss David Handley threatened further action.“We are giving DFB a week to think about things. After that we’ll be back - and at other sites too.”
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