Originally from: lina
                        
Angry farmers blockade dairy plants
By Simon Goodley (Filed: 06/10/2003)

Furious farmers embroiled in a sour row about milk and
cheese prices are blockading Britain's leading dairy
companies, in a protest co-ordinated by one of the
ringleaders of the fuel protests of three years ago.

Blocked fuel line: methods used in the petrol protests
are now being applied to dairies and cheesemaking
plants
David Handley, a veteran of the battle that brought
Britain to a standstill in 2000, last night mobilised
hundreds of farmers at three Dairy Crest plants and
two run by Associated Co-operative Creamery, part of
Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS).

Their protests, run under the banner of a group called
Farmers for Action (FFA), follow similar moves last
week when several depots belonging to Dairy Crest were
hit by tactics reminiscent of Mr Handley's previous
campaign. In last week's actions, farm vehicles
attempted to block exits and prevent vans from leaving
the dairies to deliver products.

Mr Handley said: "We're not militant. If we were
French we'd have probably burnt everything down by
now. We know it's illegal, but people are prepared to
make the ultimate sacrifice. We've no problem with
people making a profit, but the primary sector has
made losses for the last three years."

At least one major supermarket had not received a
delivery from Dairy Crest last week, Mr Handley
claimed. However, a spokesman for Dairy Crest
insisted: "Last week did not stop deliveries. It was
business as usual. It seems to me that it's just come
and gone."

The row has erupted over price increases on cheese and
milk which dairy farmers expected would be passed on
to them in full. Retailers have recently increased the
price of cheese by the equivalent of about £200 per
tonne, on the understanding the extra revenues would
go to farmers. A similar deal has been agreed in
principle for the price of milk, with retailers again
indicating they'd be happy for a 2p per litre rise.

Spokesmen for both Tesco and J Sainsbury said they
expected the price rises to be passed to the
producers. Tesco said: "We have taken price rises from
the processors to support farmers. It's our
expectation that all or part would be passed on to
farmers."

However, the dairies insisted that they have been