SUPERMARKET shelves at Tesco and Asda in Enniskillen were last night (Monday) stripped of their dairy produce as up to 120 people protested against the current milk prices.

At around 8pm up to 25 tractors lined up outside Asda's local branch and farmers and their families handed out flyers to members of the public, informing them that corporate supermarkets, food retailers and food wholesalers were “bleeding family farmers dry”.

“We cannot afford to feed you any more at current farmgate prices”, read the flyers, calling on the public to shop locally and “put money back into the countryside”.

Johnny Wilson, a local farmer and a key organiser in last night's protests, said dairy farms which have been in families for generations were at risk of “going to the wall” because current milk prices meant their business was simply unsustainable.

“We are well below cost price at this stage,” he said, “About 10 to 12 pence below the cost of production.

“A lot of family farms are going to go to the wall before this is over. Engineering companies are being affected too because farmers cannot afford to invest in machinery for their farms.

“And it is all down to factors beyond our control: The crisis in Russia, the weakening Euro and a bad milk price.” He explained why farmers have decided to target supermarkets across the country in their protest action.

“Corporate influence over the last number of years has meant that farm product is kept at an all time low so they can make their millions for their shareholders. And at the same time we as farmers are going out of business.

“Last night we were handing out flyers to members of the public and trying to encourage people to buy locally.

“I would say an overwhelming 95 per cent of the people we spoke to were behind us and what we were doing – I was blown away.

“I have been at home farming for the last 11 years. Over that time we have been told to be more efficient and do the job better. It has got to the stage where we have nothing more left to give.” Mr. Wilson said he believed the fight against milk prices was far from over.

“We don't want to affect the consumer. People say we are at the bottom of the supply chain – but they need us.

“If we all dumped our own milk for a week and there was no milk in the system, I think things would be very different. And that could happen.” A spokesman for Tesco said: “Through our Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group we ensure we pay our farmers a guaranteed fair price based on the cost of production. We are proud of what we have achieved with our dairy farmers through the TSDG since its inception in 2007, including consistently paying one of the highest prices in the industry for our milk.” At the time of publishing online, no one from Asda had responded to the Impartial Reporter.

A spokeswoman for the PSNI said: "Police in Enniskillen are aware of protests at two supermarkets in the town last night (Monday, August 3). It is thought that approximately 25 tractors and approximately 120 people were involved. Police was in attendance and a peaceful protest was facilitated."

For more on this story, see Thursday's Impartial Reporter.