FARMERS supplying milk to the North West grocery retailer Booths will be paid a new ‘fair milk’ price - higher than that from any other supermarket.

The family-owned retailer announced it would pay 35.5p per litre to dairy farmers supplying its stores. The milk will replace all Booths own label milk.

One of the dairy units to benefit will be Heaves Farm at Levens, run by Roger and Gary Mason.

“The opportunity to receive a high farmgate, long term, sustainable milk price bodes well for us and other local farmers giving us the confidence to invest and ensure a viable future both for ourselves and the next generation,” said Roger.

Booths chairman Edwin Booth said, “As dairy farmers are under pressure, we guarantee to pay our farmers the highest market price for every pint of milk we sell.

“Paying the highest market price means family farms are able to keep going, invest in the future and spend more time and money looking after their herds to ensure they produce great quality milk.”

Booths said it will review the market price regularly to ensure that it is paying their farmers more than their supermarket rivals. The data for this is collected by an independent price comparison consultancy milkprices.com, which monitors the farmgate prices of the major UK supermarkets.

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Mr Booth said: “Giving a fair deal to farmers and producers is core to our buying ethos. After long negotiations with our milk processor, Muller Wiseman we’re delighted to guarantee the highest farm gate price for our dairy farmers.

“The deal allows us to form relationships with local producers, directly benefiting farmers in our region. I’m proud to tell our customers, that when they buy a pint of Booths milk, they’re giving the farmer a truly fair price for the milk.”

Another supplier, Claire and Richard Barber of Manor House Farm, Garstang, also welcomed the move.

“It is an honour for us here at the High Hopes Herd to supply our milk to Booths. We share many values as a family business with a sustainable outlook and we sell the best produce we can from the cows we care passionately about,” said Mr Barber. “The Booths milk price will allow our business to invest and move forward to the next step confidently.”