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U.K. dairy producers getting more desperate

Protests over milk prices are intensifying in the United Kingdom. There have been an increasing number of what are called “Milk Trolley Challenges” where dairy producers go into a store, load all of the milk into grocery carts, called trolleys in the U.K. and then either leave the full carts at the checkout, hide them in other places around the store or buy the milk and then give it away in the parking lot. One protest on Sunday saw a couple of heifers let loose in the store.

Four Farmers Unions in the U.K. have called a meeting in London and are calling on U.K. agriculture ministers to meet with them to see if something can be worked out.

U.K. farm milk prices have been significantly below the cost of production for quite some time with no relief in sight. Many blame the four major supermarket chains in the U.K. for pushing the price lower. One of the chains says it will meet with farmers this week. Farmers Union leaders are also calling for British milk to be clearly labeled as such and are asking consumers to ask retailers what they are doing to make sure U.K. farmers get a fair price.

British farmer Gareth Wyn Jones has taken to Facebook to promote labeling. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152570533709567

Welsh farmers have jumped in to protest low sheep prices, producers went into a couple of grocery stores and removed all of the New Zealand lamb from the shelves.