Hundreds of farmers in blockade at Farmfoods

Senior News Reporter

Wednesday 8 August 2012

AROUND 200 farmers claimed victory after creating a human blockade at the headquarters of a major Scottish food store in a bid to get managers around the table for negotiations over the price of milk.

ANGER: Farmers blockaded the main distribution centre of Farmfoods in Cumbernauld.

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BRIAN DONNELLY

Farmers and their families from around Scotland barricaded the main distribution centre of Farmfoods at Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, and halted delivery trucks.

The lobby group Farmers For Action (FFA) has carried out a series of blockades at Farmfoods distribution centres south of the Border, but their offensive at the Scottish headquarters of the discount store appeared to prompt the first signs of compromise from the company, which declined to comment yesterday.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland is having a separate meeting with Farmfoods later next week, while FFA is now expected to meet with the firm's representatives on Monday in what they described as a significant step forward.Farmers began protests around the UK after milk processors, who buy from dairies and sell to food manufacturers and supermarkets, announced a second 2p drop in six months in the price paid per litre to farmers. The second price cut has been put on hold while talks continue with supermarkets and processors such as Wiseman Dairies and First Milk, but the threat of further action is still in place if a long term solution can't be found.Stuart Roan, who has a dairy farm in the south-west of Scotland, welcomed the Farmfoods protest but would not rule out further action in future if an agreement on fair milk pricing could not be reached.He said: "It's good news that Farmfoods have indicated that they will come to a meeting with FFA. "Before that they had completely refused, so this is a breakthrough."I think they have realised that if they don't want to be closed down [by blockades] then they have to play their part."A spokesman for NFU Scotland said: "Tuesday night's rally of dairy farmers and their families at Farmfoods's Cumbernauld base is a clear sign that the anger and frustration around milk prices still exists."The dairy coalition, of which NFUS is a part, remains committed to getting a fair milk price for dairy farmers and the spotlight is still on those companies failing to deliver. "We welcome the opportunity to discuss with Farmfoods the urgent need and justification for farmgate prices for milk to rise and the responsibility that the retailer has in helping to deliver that."Chatting with customers outside Farmfoods stores show the public themselves believe farmers deserve a better deal."Another farmer and NFUS member who attended the Cumbernauld blockade said: "We had tractors blocking the exit until the police told us to move them then we had farmers blockading the plant themselves. "The point was made. "It is essential that we find out how much of a discount some stores are getting on their milk. "We don't know exactly how much these stores are getting to buy their milk for from the processors and this is what we need to establish."

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Hundreds of farmers in blockade at Farmfoods

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