MORRISONS has followed its move to help milk producers with a new cheddar cheese range selling at a higher price.

The supermarket chain - which has a store in Skipton - is creating a Milk for Farmers cheddar cheese priced at 34p a pack above its standard Morrisons cheddar price. It will deliver the equivalent of 10p-a-litre back to farmers supplying its milk.

Last week the chain unveiled plans for a new brand of milk, Morrisons Milk for Farmers, where 10p per litre of the price goes back to farmers' co-operative Arla, which supplies its 500 stores.

The move followed a meeting between Morrisons executives and the National Farmers Union and protest group Farmers For Action which had targeted its stores.

In a statement Morrisons said: "We know that the dairy farming community faces a tough winter."

Morrisons has has been a key target of recent protests over below-cost milk prices by dairy farmers. The action included a 1,000-strong protest at the company’s Somerset distribution depot and “trolley challenges” at several stores in which milk was taken from the shelves before being dumped or given away for a donation to charity.

Following the Milk for Farmers announcement, action group leaders said Morrisons would be exempt from future protests.

Meanwhile, discount supermarket Aldi - which has stores in Skipton and Silsden - and Asda have to agreed pay 28p a litre for their milk.

The NFU has welcomed the move, even though it is less than the 30-32p farmers estimate it costs to produce each litre of milk.