Dairy Crest this week put up its doorstep milk prices by 1p per pint. The company claimed the move was due to “increased costs of production and distribution”.

Analysts said it might be intended to offset at least some of the damage caused by the loss of contracts to supply liquid milk to the major multiples. The increase will push the typical price of a pint to 47p - equivalent to nearly 84p per litre. This compares with the current average farmgate price for farmers of 19p per litre.