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 BBC Scotland's Leslie Anderson"For those who work in the industry there are great concerns"  real 28k |
Farmers sour over milk price
The farmers say they cannot make a living with the prices they get
Dairy farmers in Scotland have protested outside the headquarters of the country's biggest milk distributor.
Around 100 demonstrated at the low prices they receive for milk, and the high prices charged in the shops.
The farmers were lobbying a board meeting at the headquarters of Robert Wiseman Dairies in East Kilbride.
The firm has a 70% share of the Scottish milk market and has been accused of price discrimination, exclusive dealing and predation.
Farmers say they are getting 15p to 17p a litre for the milk produced on the farm. They say it costs them 19p to produce.
In turn, the same milk sells in shops for 77p a litre. The supermarkets argue that they are not profiting, but are using it as a "loss-leader" to attract customers.
'Impossible to survive'
One of the organisers of the protest, Alex Wilson, said:"It's impossible to survive under these conditions. All we are asking for is a fair crack of the whip."
But the company said the price offered to producers is a fair one.
Wiseman's Peter Nicolson said: "The dairy industry is in an oversupplied market at the minute .
"That's principally because of the strength of the currency, which is making it very difficult for the industry to compete for export markets abroad, and compete against others importing into this country."
Friday's protest by Scottish farmers follows similar demonstrations in Wales, where dairy producers sprayed milk over the land and poured it down drains rather than sell it.
Westminster protest
On Wednesday a rally took the message to Westminster, with the National Farmers' Union warning in a report that if farmers continued to leave the industry, the UK may not be able to fulfill its 13 billion litres a year requirement for milk.
NFU president Ben Gill said: "British dairy farmers set world standards of excellence in milk production. Quality tests consistently put us amongst the best in the world.
"Yet we are paid less for each pint than anyone else in Europe, not even enough to cover productions costs.
"If Britain is forced into importing milk from abroad because the dairy industry has been left to collapse it would be a national disaster, both for farmers and for the public who would be deprived of a great institution and a great quality product - the British pinta."
Around 100 demonstrated at the low prices they receive for milk, and the high prices charged in the shops.
The farmers were lobbying a board meeting at the headquarters of Robert Wiseman Dairies in East Kilbride.
 Wiseman has the lion's share of the Scottish market |
Farmers say they are getting 15p to 17p a litre for the milk produced on the farm. They say it costs them 19p to produce.
In turn, the same milk sells in shops for 77p a litre. The supermarkets argue that they are not profiting, but are using it as a "loss-leader" to attract customers.
'Impossible to survive'
One of the organisers of the protest, Alex Wilson, said:"It's impossible to survive under these conditions. All we are asking for is a fair crack of the whip."
But the company said the price offered to producers is a fair one.
Wiseman's Peter Nicolson said: "The dairy industry is in an oversupplied market at the minute .
 Peter Nicolson argues the currency is against the market |
Friday's protest by Scottish farmers follows similar demonstrations in Wales, where dairy producers sprayed milk over the land and poured it down drains rather than sell it.
Westminster protest
On Wednesday a rally took the message to Westminster, with the National Farmers' Union warning in a report that if farmers continued to leave the industry, the UK may not be able to fulfill its 13 billion litres a year requirement for milk.
NFU president Ben Gill said: "British dairy farmers set world standards of excellence in milk production. Quality tests consistently put us amongst the best in the world.
"Yet we are paid less for each pint than anyone else in Europe, not even enough to cover productions costs.
"If Britain is forced into importing milk from abroad because the dairy industry has been left to collapse it would be a national disaster, both for farmers and for the public who would be deprived of a great institution and a great quality product - the British pinta."
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