FARMERS’ leaders have urged milk price protestors to demonstrate within the law as further action is expected around the UK.

The National Farmers Union Scotland said while it understands farmers want to “vent their frustration” over falling milk prices, protests should be conducted in a “legal and civil manner”.

Scottish farmers have already protested over the reduction in UK milk prices caused by a global glut of dairy products.

Dairy farmers held demonstrations in stores in Ayr and Kilmarnock and across England when they have bought up milk and given it free to customers and local charities.

More protests are expected but it is unclear if blockades such as those planned in Northern Ireland will take place in Scotland.

Bryce Cunningham, a Mauchline farmer and campaigner who helped set up the Ayrshire demonstrations, said the aim was to show people that farmers believe their product is being undervalued.

Supermarket representatives said they have actively supported Scottish farmers and are among the highest payers in the market.

The protests come after a significant fall in milk prices, with figures published by industry body AHDB Dairy showing the average UK farm-gate price was 24.06p per litre in May, a decrease of 25.4 per cent on last year.

Mr Cunningham said: “Scottish milk is tremendous quality, and studies have shown the majority of the population would pay a few pence more.

“The one thing we don’t want to do is upset the public, who are our customers, but we are trying to show farmers are not being paid a fair price for their milk.”

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said there was strong support from the public at the protests and that farmers are in a "position of desperation".

He added: “It’s understandable why they feel the need to vent and we would ask that any protests or demonstrations are done in a legal and civil manner.

“NFU Scotland supports those that have clear objectives and are carried out in a collective and collaborative manner.

“For the situation to improve we need the consumer to be able to buy Scottish or British produce on their local supermarket shelves, and for the farmers to be paid a reasonable price for their investment and efforts."

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium which represents supermarkets, said the root cause of the reduced price currently being paid to farmers for their milk is one of supply and demand and this is confirmed by recent parliamentary reports on dairy prices.

He said: “Declining worldwide demand for milk, coupled with a stronger pound, the ban on food exports to Russia and an increase in supply to a 20 year high has led to a reduction in the prices farmers are receiving.

“Our grocery members have a strong record of both sourcing dairy products in Scotland and helping consumers to make a choice when they want to buy Scottish or British through clear country of origin labelling."

He added: “Some individual grocery retailers have reduced the price of milk charged to consumers in store but those retailers alone are paying for the price reduction – not the dairy processors who they buy from and not farmers.

“In fact, retailers continue to pay amongst the highest prices in the market to their suppliers, regardless of the price they charge their customers.

“There has, unfortunately, not been the same transparency of what others in the market pay for milk, including government and the wider public sector.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said he understood the frustrations of farmers.

He added: "I am urging all retailers, food service and other buyers, big and small, to get behind our Scottish dairy farmers and support them in this time of need for the industry."