FARMERS' leaders have played down the usefulness of protests and blockades as milk producers continue to reel from a series of devastating price cuts.

Instead, the NFU issued a 'rallying call' to supermarkets, processors and policy makers to work out a way forward and safeguard the future of British dairy farming.

Farmers across the UK have suffered milk price cuts of between 7p and 9p per litre in just a few weeks.

On Tuesday, NFU dairy board chairman Rob Harrison said: "I am meeting with all aspects of the dairy supply chain to ensure all that can be done is being done and that no-one is using the current downward price trend as a convenient excuse to make additional cuts to the farmgate price."

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Last Thursday, a crisis meeting in Penrith was attended by hundreds of dairy farmers from across Cumbria, Yorkshire and the North East.

The gathering was addressed by David Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action, who urged the region's dairy farmers to cut milk production to force prices up, but the idea was met with little support at the meeting.

Throughout Britain, dairy farmers have attacked the pricing policy of some retailers, which they accused of selling milk as a "loss leader".

Many criticised the Iceland chain which cut its retail price for milk to just 89p for four pints. In Kendal, the store displayed a poster in the window stating it was offering the "cheapest milk in town".

However, the company insisted it was financing the price reduction from profits and not through a reduction in the price it paid to dairy farmers.

Mr Harrison said: “The current global situation has led to a crisis for many British dairy farmers. Many are selling milk at well below the cost of production and while some retailers have made great strides forward to create clear and fair formulas in how they pay their dairy farmers, we are concerned that the long term impact of extremely low retail milk prices on the industry could be very serious for all concerned.

“Everyone needs to play their part to ensure British dairy farmers weather this global price storm. I will continue to meet with policy-makers both here and in the EU to look at what market interventions are possible and continue the work we have in place on the voluntary code which helps to ensure fairness and transparency in the supply chain between processors and their suppliers.”