FARMERS across Oxfordshire have urged customers to buy British milk and dairy products to save more farms from closing.

They have said the milk crisis has left them uncertain about the industry’s future and have warned it will soon reach “tipping point”.

David Christensen, whose family has owned Kingston Hill Farm, in Kingston Bagpuize, for 46 years, supplies the global dairy co-operative Arla Foods which recently reduced its prices paid to farmers by 0.8p to 23p a litre.

Mr Christensen, who has 600 cows, said: “The problem is over-supply in the world and we are not going to change that quickly.

“The income we get is down considerably and we have to be careful of what we spend, and budget for what we will need going into winter .”

Figures from the National Farmers Union [NFU] revealed that there are now 42 dairy farms in Oxfordshire, down from 57 in August 2010.

Dairy farmer Ian Corner runs Jersey Manor Farm in Somerton, near Bicester, which has been in the family since 1904 and currently has 125 milking cows.

He said: “We thought we had a good sustainable future. I know it is easy to blame the supermarkets because they are taking advantage of the prices to get people in. They are devaluing products rather than getting behind us.

“We need to convince people to buy British milk and dairy products. We have had the herd in the family for over 100 years, I do not want to throw the towel in. We are hanging on in hope it does turn around and improve. Honestly I am losing lots of sleep over the uncertainty.”

Following talks with farming unions yesterday, Morrisons agreed to launch a new Milk For Farmers brand at about 10p extra for every litre.

The money will be given to the farmers with Arla – Britain’s biggest milk co-operative – and is expected to be introduced in stores in the autumn.

John Hook, a fourth-generation dairy farmer who runs beef, dairy and arable Cote Lodge Farm, near Witney, said: “The milk prices are being driven down and they are just not sustainable.

“We were producing milk at about this price in 1977.

“Eventually people will go as it has got to that tipping point.”

NFU South East spokeswoman Isobel Bretherton said: “It is not all about the retailers.

“Obviously there are lots of things that could help, we are telling people to buy British products.

“The consumers need to give back to our farmers now or we will lose this industry.”

She added: “£1 for four pints does not seem enough, it is constantly devaluing it in the eyes of the consumer.”

PROTESTS

FARMERS and their cows have taken to supermarkets in protests over milk prices around the country.

Two cows were herded into an Asda supermarket in Stafford as around 70 farmers made a stand about prices not being sustainable enough to keep dairy farms in business.

Other protests have included farmers clearing supermarket shelves in what is being called the Milk Trolley Challenge. Stores have included Morrisons and Lidl, where farmers have either bought it all to give away or taken it to dump at supermarket checkouts.

Videos have been posted online and prompted talks between farming industry bosses and supermarket chain Morrisons in a bid to tackle the price problems.