Published 20/07/2012

Dairy SOS continues to be at the forefront of the news as farmers have taken action. In protest at the price they are currently being paid for milk, hundreds of farmers took to blockading milk processing plants, late last night.

This action is supported by the celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver.

In a letter to The Times, Jamie Oliver says: "Milk is a brilliant food but we have all lost sight of its value. We pay more for bottled water than we do for milk - yet water bubbles out of the ground, while milk comes from livestock which need our care. How mad is that?"

Cuts of 2p a litre are pushing farmers out of business and pushing the price of milk higher for consumers in the long run. Farmers are currently paid approximately 25p for a litre of milk, but the cost of production is at 29p, meaning that dairy farming in the UK is becoming unviable.

Dil Peeling, Director of Public Affairs says "This is the tip of a very dangerous iceberg. This is not just about the UK or milk - it is about factory farming and the way it pushes down farm gate prices, disempowers farmers and turns animals into machines on a production line.

"Sadly of late, we have even seen factory farming starting to erode the welfare of the British dairy cow, as she is pushed beyond her limits and increasingly denied access to pasture in 'zero-grazing systems'. We should be supporting UK dairy farmers who keep their cows in fields where they belong, not putting them out of business. Anything less is shameful."