MORE than 800 farmers, families and friends from across the UK staged a protest outside the gates of the Morrisons distribution centre in Bridgwater on Wednesday night to show their fury at the latest cut to the price paid for milk.

More than 70 tractors, trailers and other farm machines lined the roads around the Morrisons depot off Junction 23 of the M5 as farmers held their peaceful protest.

Muller Wiseman is supplied by 1,200 dairy farmers and was one of a number of major dairy processors to announce price cuts last week.

It has announced a further cut to its farmgate milk price from 1 November - the fourth time prices have been cut since April.

Grassroots lobby group Farmers For Action (FFA), which represents around one-third of the UK’s dairy farmers, organised the protest and pledged more of the same action over the coming days and weeks as they target other dairy processors and supermarkets.

FFA is blaming Morrisons and the ongoing retendering process for liquid milk for the recent price volatility.

In a statement Morrisons group corporate services director Martyn Jones said: “Morrisons have real sympathy for dairy farmers suffering from price cuts prompted by unparalleled movements in global dairy commodity prices.

“Suggestions that our milk supply tender is a response to the current market situation however are entirely untrue.

We can confirm that our current fiveyear milk contracts continue early in to next year.”

David Handley, FFA chairman told the Mercury: “We have got to do something, things are extremely desperate. They are pricing us out of the industry at the moment and it is just unacceptable.

“We’ve got to think of the next generation of dairy farmers who are coming through, they deserve a chance.”

One of the demo organisers, James Hole from Wedmore, told the Mercury that protesting was the only option as negotiations between supermarkets and farmers had broken down.

He said: “The talks have not made progress so we felt that this was the only way to make ourselves heard.

“We are being told that it's all ok because we had a very good summer but we are still recovering from the flooding at the start of the year.”

Colin Robertson milks 200 dairy cows on his farm in Wedmore and said that he was there to raise the profile of the situation farmers are in.

“It’s about raising awareness more than anything and showing the consumers what is happening here, that's what might cause the supermarkets to react and something to change.”

Last Monday FFA held a similar protest at a Muller Wiseman site in Shropshire.

Muller Wiseman chief executive Ronald Kers has slammed the actions, branding the FFA supporters as “militants.”

He also warned that these protests would add to the “substantial cost”

inflicted on the dairy industry, which is already under severe pressure.

The processor said lower returns from cream and butter products, on top of a milk surplus in the market, is to blame for this round of price cuts.

The average cost of milk production is 30p per litre but in light of the recent rounds of price cuts, some farmers are now only being paid 25p per litre according to the Nation Farmers Union (NFU).

NFU President Meurig Raymond said: “These are extremely turbulent times.

That is why it is absolutely vital that everyone in the dairy supply chain shows commitment at this time. Milk processors, retailers and dairy farmers must work together to minimise the impact of the current price falls on dairy farmers.”

To view our pciture gallery of the protest click here and watch our video coverage below.