FARMERS have threatened to hit Christmas food supplies across Britain with a series of strikes because of the "rock-bottom" prices supermarkets offer for their produce.

Leaders of Farmers for Action said protests will be held tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, when their members will hold back supplies of milk, meat and vegetables.

It is hoped about 2,000 farmers will join the action and a spokesman confirmed further strikes could follow before the end of the year.

The lobby group claims diary farmers are being paid 17p a litre for milk, compared with 27p in 1995.

Chairman David Handley, a diary farmer in Monmouthshire, said: "This action will put pressure on retailers to make sure primary producers get a substantial return for their product.

"Alongside this action all food producers in the UK, be it livestock, vegetables, whatever, are also being asked to withhold their produce from the market place for the three days.

"We hope this will draw attention to the benefits of home grown, UK product and the health dangers to both man and beast, of imported supplies.".

"BSE and foot-and-mouth (disease) has cost the taxpayer billions, and now avian flu is threatening both consumers' health and the UK poultry industry, but still leading retailers are allowed to continue importing cheap products from abroad," he said.

"We would advise consumers to purchase their perishable goods ahead of the action and to be aware that further food strikes will undoubtedly follow in the run up to Christmas."