Tesco promises British milk for all own-label yoghurt

All Tesco’s own-label yoghurt will soon be made from British rather than German milk, according to lobby group Farmers For Action (FFA).

Britain’s biggest retailer reportedly assured the NFU and FFA that the switchover would be made by March 2016, after a meeting on Wednesday (19 August).

Tesco was also asked to consider a 28p/litre minimum price for milk for cheese and country of origin labels that showed one country instead of several. A follow-up meeting is scheduled on 2 September to discuss these issues.

See also: Arla promises Asda milk price rise goes ‘direct to farmers’

Along with Sainsbury’s, Tesco has avoided the main brunt of farmer protests due to its cost-of-production-covering liquid milk supply scheme.

But industry leaders still want the supermarket to roll out that well-regarded policy to other dairy products.

In a statement, FFA described the Tesco meeting as “very, very positive”.

FFA also asked for any protests at Tesco stores to stop while the negotiations continued.

The announcement is the latest in a wave of retailer pledges to dairy farmers in the past fortnight.

Morrisons was first, announcing a new Milk for Farmers line of liquid milk and cheese that would return 10p/litre direct to producers.

It also brought in a minimum milk price of 26p/litre over the winter, with the promise this money would be passed to farmers.

Aldi, Asda and Lidl then all followed with their own milk price floors of 28p/litre.

Asda has also committed to using co-operative Arla’s farmer-owned marque on its liquid milk and  a “Made with British Milk” logo on cheese.