A FRIESIAN cow joined members of the Dorset Women's Institute for the Great Milk Debate in Dorchester.

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin, MEP Neil Parish and representatives from other dairy industry bodies took part in the Corn Exchange event.

Dorset WI arranged for Jacqui - a Friesian cow from Kingston Maurward College who has produced more than 50,000 pints of milk - to make an appearance to illustrate the issue.

The lunchtime debate was part of a nationwide campaign addressing the crisis facing the dairy industry caused by low prices for milk.

Many dairy farmers are going out of business - over 900 have gone in the last few years alone.

Milk processors and representatives from Milk Link, trade association Dairy UK and Tesco and Sainsbury were also present at the Dorchester event.

Anne Bonete, public affairs representative for the Dorset Federation of WI, said: "There are various reasons for the crisis, we don't seek to blame any one section of the industry.

"But we're trying to draw the public's attention to it. We're all trying to come to a valid point of view about what might happen in the future.

"We'd like to see a brighter and better future for the dairy industry. We don't want to see milk being imported from other countries."

Regional NFU dairy adviser Andrew Butler added: "Farmers are paid an average of 18p per litre today compared with 24.5p per litre 10 years ago.

"But their production costs have risen significantly which means on average they are losing more than three pence on every litre."

Over the last 20 years the number of farms producing milk in the South West - the country's leading dairy region - has fallen by nearly 50 per cent to well under 5,000.