Dairy farmers protest

Dairy farmers from across the region have been protesting over what they say is an 'unsustainable' fall in the price they get for milk.

Hundreds met in London to demand an immediate reversal of a series of price cuts that will take effect in August. Unions say from Northumberland to the Scottish Borders and beyond more and more farmers are struggling to survive.

Dairy Co says that the cost of milk in November 2011 was 29p per litre, the price needed for farmers to break even.

The new price cuts will bring the average price to 25p per litre, meaning a loss of more than £37,000 per farmer and forcing many to operate below cost price.

A milk processor, which mass buys milk from farmers, said that it lowered the price it buys milk at because of 'depressed commodity prices'.

Arla UK reduced the price of milk by 2p per litre to 25p because its 'business performance had continued to suffer'.

Many of the North East's dairy farmers have descended on London to demand that milk buyers pay them 'at least the cost of production' for their milk.