Local farmers to join picket (From Gazette & Herald)

Local farmers to join picket

FIFTY Ryedale farmers are poised for wildcat action organised by a militant group in a national row over milk prices.

Local farmers will support members of Farmers For Action (FFA) in their attempt to disrupt the country's daily milk supply by stopping milk tankers entering processing plants.

FFA Yorkshire co-ordinator Moira Peckitt, of Carlton Husthwaite, near Thirsk, said the group had support from farmers in Ryedale for picketing action taking place this week outside North Yorkshire.

She refused to give specific details because, on some occasions, police riot teams have been put in place before the picketers arrive, and the milk processing plants have changed shifts and tanker delivery times to avoid disruption.

"This is farmers standing up for themselves and saying that they can't keep selling their milk for less than the production cost," said Ms Peckitt.

"If you close a business down for a couple of hours then, yes, it is militant action, but we're very good, peaceful picketers - we just want to be listened to."

The dispute is over the farm-gate price of milk because the price per litre has dropped dramatically in recent years, meaning some farmers are running their businesses at a loss and are threatened with bankruptcy. Dairy farmers want an additional 2p a litre so their businesses can break even. Farmers are paid around 18p per litre for milk, which then sells for 43p per litre in supermarkets.

The FFA blames milk processors for keeping the farm-gate prices down.

Last week, about 50 FFA supporters picketed the Express Dairies plant in Northallerton and hundreds of farmers from across Britain blockaded milk processing plants between Devon and London, also in Shropshire, Derbyshire and Warwickshire. A plant in Lockerbie was targeted, along with distribution depots run by Tesco and ASDA.

FFA leader, Monmouthshire dairy farmer David Handley, received almost unanimous backing when he met with Hovingham Dairy Group on Monday of last week.

Updated: 11:57 Wednesday, October 22, 2003