Farmers For Action is set to resume its programme of direct action against retailers, with Asda its key target.
The group has been quiet since chairman David Handley was beaten by Peter Kendall in the National Farmers' Union presidential election that took place on February 28.
But members are gearing up for a fresh wave of protests in the wake of a retailer price war on milk, sparked last month when Asda slashed the price of a four-pint bottle to just £1.
At the time, Asda said that its suppliers would not suffer - and even increased the amount its dedicated pool of 550 farmers received for raw milk by 0.5ppl.
However, Handley said that the move would damage the businesses of the "forgotten 13,500" - the farmers who supplied milk to other retailers and to markets such as cheese and yoghurt.
He said he knew of two major British cheesemakers that were already cutting the price they paid for raw milk in anticipation that the price war would spread to their sector.
He added: "We're pretty angry about what Asda has done. They have wiped £180m overnight off the market for a top-class food product. Now cheese processors are panicking because they think they are going to be next."
But Asda spokesman Dominic Burch said other retailers, not Asda, should be the subject of Handley's ire. "We now pay our farmers a premium of 1ppl, which has added an average of £8,000 a year to their income. I find it ironic that we get the blame for other farmers not receiving enough money."
Richard Clarke
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