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| 30 jul 2015 |
11:35 |
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Midlands farmers stage Morrisons protest
About 50 producers drove tractors in single file along the A50 from Sudbury, Staffordshire to Morrisons Festival Park store car park where they then spoke to customers as part of a peaceful protest today (July 29).
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The move comes days after a slow-moving roadblock on the A50 divided industry opinion, with some farmers worried disrupting customers would not help farmers.
Farmers For Action (FFA) distanced itself from Friday’s ’rolling roadblock’ with leader David Handley urging farmers to be patient on direct action.
"Although we understand the frustration and anger of those who have been protesting on the A50, we feel very strongly this will not benefit our cause in the short term," Mr Handley said.
The public reportedly responded generally positively to today’s protest.
The subject of direct action has been high on farming’s agenda in recent weeks. At a recent FFA meeting NFU dairy board chairman Rob Harrison said the union would not oppose protests done in the right manner.
Meat and dairy prices have continued to fall in recent weeks, with overuspply and global factors including slowing Chinese demand continuing to pressure markets both in the UK and globally.
Friday’s protests came just days after French Government officials offered a £420 million aid package to the country’s agricultural sector.
French meat and dairy producers had blockaded roads to towns and tourist attractions. Protests in France are continuing.
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