Farmers plan Tesco blockade

Supermarket giant Tesco is today facing the prospect of future blockades at its depots after militant farmers agreed to push ahead with protests.

Farmers For Action (FFA) said it would go ahead with its opposition to Tesco after the supermarket chain failed to agree to high level talks over produce costs.

The farmers met last night and agreed to carry on protests but said Tesco could stop the action at any stage by agreeing to the meeting.

But with Tesco refusing to back down to the demand, action seems likely and it is thought blockades of key Tesco depots could be on the cards.

A total of 28 farmers from across Britain met at a secret location in Wiltshire to discuss their plans which could lead to the biggest mass action since the fuel protests of September 2000.

Protests against Tesco would go ahead "imminently" but chairman David Handley said FFA would give the chain a few more days to agree to their request for a meeting with chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.

"The meeting went very well indeed," Mr Handley said.

"It was a unanimous decision that action will be taken but we're going to speak to Tesco to say that we're prepared to give them a little longer to consider their decision."

Mr Handley said FFA has been in touch with similar groups in France who have previously campaigned against McDonald's.

Any action mounted in this country would have a "French tinge" but he would not reveal what it would be.

"We will be giving the press and the public plenty of warning so the consumer knows what is going on," Mr Handley, a dairy farmer from Monmouthshire said.

Speaking after the meeting a spokesman for Tesco said their position remained the same as it had earlier in the day.

"The position remains as it was, which is that Terry Leahy wrote again to David Handley reiterating that we believe the appropriate and most constructive way forward is to come to the next Producers' Club meeting.

"This still remains the case and we regret that they want to push on with action."

FFA held the meeting because it is angry at the prices Tesco pays farmers for produce.

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