Farmers protest over milk prices with 'pinta giveaway'

Last night's picket of an ASDA food distribution store at Grangemouth by angry dairy farmers will be followed today by the "Great Christmas Milk Give-Away" to shoppers in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Dairy farmers, led by NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren, at an Asda store in Helen Street, Glasgow, and vice-president Nigel Miller, at a Tesco store in Ferry Muir, South Queensferry, will be giving away hundreds of pints of milk to highlight the huge gap between the ex-farm price of milk and the price shoppers pay at the supermarket check-out.

Farmers are accusing supermarkets of profiteering at their expense and say the milk price war being waged by major supermarkets is driving milk producers to the wall while processors and retailers cream excessive profits.

"The Great Christmas Free Milk Give-Away will show customers what they could be missing if supermarkets continue to pay Scotland's hard working dairy farmers a price that sits well below the cost of producing milk in the farm," McLaren said last night.

"It is not just the fresh daily pinta which is at risk. Scottish milk is used in a huge range of cheese, butter, cream, yoghurt and dairy desserts found on supermarket shelves and make their way into trolleys and baskets every day."

Dairy farmers are being paid an average price of 25p a litre, the union claims, while it costs 28p to produce a litre of milk.

"Supermarkets are making up to 18p profit on a litre of milk and 3 a kg profit on a block of Scottish cheddar," McLaren claimed.

"Supermarkets can easily deliver a fairer share back to farmers of the substantial profits they are making on milk, cheese and other dairy products without asking anyone to pay a penny more for their milk.

The Westminster government has already responded to the concerns of farmers by pledging to appoint an ombudsman to regulate trading between supermarkets and their suppliers and safeguard the interests of both consumers and primary producers.