Arla will be arranging member meetings in the coming weeks specifically for farmers that will be directly affected by this announcement. Any decision on how Arla deal with this tender change will be made by the Arla UK board.
Rob Harrison, NFU dairy board chairman, said: “This announcement from Tesco will obviously impact on some of our members’ businesses and we will review it very carefully. What we do know is that Tesco is continuing to show its long-term commitment to liquid milk through the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group.
“As with any change it is now absolutely vital that Tesco, Muller and Arla make it very clear to all their suppliers how they will be affected by this change. We need to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the supply chain for both aligned and non-aligned farmers.
“We also urge Tesco to share its proposals for a sustainable own label cheese sourcing policy. Farmers who have received the cheddar winter supplement will want to know what the future holds for them.”