Earlier that evening some 200 dairy farmers and their supporters from throughout Scotland had gathered at the gates of the LIDL distribution centre here, for the third time in as many weeks, to protest the attempt by the supermarket’s management to cut the price of liquid milk the company pays to dairy farmers by 1.3 pence per litre. In doing so, the supermarket flouted a voluntary agreement called the “Supermarket Code of Conduct,” established last year following protests by farmers across the UK.

FFA organized the protests here and similar actions at six LIDL distribution points across the UK. The dairy farmers’ actions began on May 6, with the participation of about 500 farmers. “All the depots targeted were shut down and the staff sent home,” said an FFA statement.

At a May 8 meeting with dairy producers, representatives of LIDL, which has 4 percent of the UK retail grocery market, insisted on the price reduction. The response of dairy farmers organized by the FFA was seen at the supermarket’s distribution depot here. Some 200 FFA members and supporters picketed for 12 hours—from 6:00 p.m. on May 12 till 6:00 a.m. the next morning (see article in last week’s Militant).

This was followed by similar 12-hour blockades by dairy farmers at LIDL’s distribution centers in Belvedere, Loughborough, Runcorn, and Weston Super Mare in England, May 15-16. At that point, the supermarket’s management told the processors that “they will now only make a 0.75 pence per litre cut, which was still unacceptable,” reported the FFA. The actions in England continued from 5:00 p.m. May 18, to 6 a.m. the next morning. On both occasions, dairy farmers lined the roads next to the depots with agricultural equipment, forcing the company’s trucks to remain in the yards.

By Monday night, May 19, the campaign returned to Scotland. Dairy farmers were joined by other workers in the industry. One feed supplier from Leven, in Fife, said he had come to support the farmers because he had seen what was happening to agricultural producers. “About seven years ago, my round covered 280 farms and 65 dairies,” he said. “Now, it’s 45 dairies.” Another feed supplier from the area provided free celebratory tea and coffee.

Another indication of broadening support for the dairy farmers was the presence of three members of the Scottish Parliament—Fiona Hyslop, Scottish National Party; Margo MacDonald, Independent; and Mark Ruskell, Green Party.

Concluding his report to the assembled protestors, Wilson emphasized, “We now have to apply ourselves to raising the price in the autumn.” This was well understood by the dairy farmers.

A farmer at the May 19 action from the Scottish town of Kilmarnock, told the Militant, “It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to stop them. I’ve been here all three nights and I’m delighted. But we really need a price increase of four pence. The price used to be 22 pence, and now it’s 16 pence. If we gave them the milk for nothing, they’d want the carton as well!”  
 
 
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