FARMERS demanding better prices for their dairy produce from major retailers staged a protest outside a Bromsgrove supermarket.

Members of the Farmers for Action group gathered outside the ASDA store in Market Street last Thursday to campaign for better prices for their products.

They claim that they are being exploited by major retailers and supermarkets, who offer poor prices for their produce, particularly milk.

The latest campaign - Save the British Dairy Farmer - was launched last Sunday at the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells.

The national campaign has also received the backing of women's institutes.

Farmers across the country have been collecting signatures, and they plan to take the petition to parliament in September.

Farmers for Action's vice chairman Andrew Hemming said poor prices for dairy products were forcing many farmers out of business.

"Supermarkets are continuing to drive the price down and we have hit out heads against a brick wall," he said.

"Four producers a day are going out of production. Most producers are making a three pence a litre loss.

"If we can get the consumers to put pressure on the supermarkets then we might actually get somewhere. Most dairy farmers now can't look after their animals because they are not getting the right funding."

A spokesman for ASDA said: "We have no problem with people holding peaceful protests outside our store.

"If they would like to discuss something, whether it be about milk prices or another subject, then we are more than happy for them to come into the store and speak to us."