CUMBRIAN dairy farmers have slammed a supermarket's plan to create a premium milk label, claiming it failed to address the real issues facing desperate producers.

During a crisis meeting on Tuesday, local farmers variously described the Morrisons offer of an extra 10p a litre for some milk supplies as 'window dressing', 'smoke and mirrors' and a 'publicity stunt'.

More than 100 dairy and livestock farmers attended the meeting at Rheged, Penrith, which was chaired by Lord Inglewood.

It was called after months of falling milk prices which led to widespread demonstrations by hard-pressed dairy farmers, including the targeting of two Kendal supermarkets earlier this month.

Following the protests, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda made new commitments to pay a minimum level for their milk.

Morrisons committed to pay at least 26p per litre, while Aldi and Lidl decided to pay 28p, the same level set beforehand by Asda.

But it was Morrisons' proposal to create a new 'Milk for Farmers' brand, selling milk in different packaging for 10p per litre more, which angered dairy farmers the most.

Farmers leaders accused the supermarket of making a 'token gesture' because it would continue to pay farmers 'unsustainably low prices' for regular milk.

Tuesday's Rheged meeting was chaired by Lord Inglewood and the panel included Penrith and The Border MP Rory Stewart; Georgina Lamb of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution; Adam Day of The Farmer Network; and the Rev Chris Blackshaw who heads the new Cumbria Agricultural Chaplaincy.

They heard farmers express scepticism at the supermarkets' price promises.

Dairy farmer Les Armstrong, of Kirkoswald, said: "What supermarkets are doing is just window dressing."

Other farmers warned that the problem of milk prices had not been solved, labelling the latest price promises as a ‘publicity stunt by supermarkets’ and ‘smoke and mirrors’.

Mr Stewart said labelling was a 'very important issue', adding that British cheddar was 'very likely to not be made from British milk'.

The Rev Blackshaw said some farmers were 'within a whisker of taking their lives' and that he was dealing with people with 'a range of problems'.

He added: “It’s really important the public are educated to know what to look for to find out whether a product is made in this country.”

Mr Day pointed out that lamb prices were also low - down £8-£10 for a 40 kilo lamb compared with last year.

"The sheep industry is not in the state of the dairy industry – yet; but if it continues as it is it will not be sustainable," he said.