EXCLUSIVE: Unprecedented milk cost rises hit indies: six leading suppliers compared

Independent stores have been hit with a raft of new monthly price hikes as dairies attempt to offset costs to battle the latest farming production crisis.

In the past week, the industry has warned the price of dairy products could rise by more than 50% due to inflationary pressures in the supply chain, largely driven by Brexit and the Ukrainian crisis.

Leading supplier Medina Dairy became the latest supplier to implement increases last week.

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In a letter sent to stores last month and seen by betterRetailing, the firm said it would be raising prices to stores by three pence per litre from 3 April, as well as two pence per litre to farmers, effective 1 April.

Mitz Patel, owner of Meet & Deep News in Twickenham, said the increases have forced him to source milk elsewhere.