‘Hear our voice’ urge local farmers

The protest organised by pressure group Farmers for Action, asked shoppers to switch allegiance from the store to local shops until local dairy farmers receive a fair price for their produce.

The Coleraine protest was the last in a number of protests in Northern Ireland organised by the group.

Independent MLA David McClarty attended the Thursday night protest and spoke to those present.

On Friday, Farmers for Action released a statement.

“During six weeks of protest, Farmers For Action efforts in Northern Ireland have been well supported by farmers, their families, other farm organisations, MLA’s and councillors across all the different ASDA stores in the many towns involved.

We would ask consumers - our customers to continue to shop elsewhere until Asda take their corporate social responsibility seriously by paying family farmers a minimum of the cost of production, plus a margin inflation linked for their produce, not just for milk but for all the staples.

“Until this happens we would particularly ask farmers and their families to refrain from allowing the exploitation of their photographs being displayed in large retail stores and particularly ask farming families to shop elsewhere until Asda see the logic financially in a u-turn relating to what they pay for the majority of farm produce across the UK.”