DAIRY farmers are calling for more to be done during 'desperate' times as tumbling milk prices mean many face having to leave the industry.

They say it is the 'last straw' for many who are now setting up contingency plans for the future.

The National Farmers Union has said while the number of farms supplying milk in Oxfordshire has stayed at 43 for the past year, prior to 2015 nearly 50 dairy farmers left the trade in a decade.

Herdsman Robin Davis of Elm Farm, Stratton Audley near Bicester, said: "The milk prices have just got so low, farmers can no longer make the money to cover costs."

Farm owner Simon Goss said the dairy farm has been considering the prospect of selling off the milking side of the business for the past six months but hoped it could still run into next year.

The farm was forced to sell most of its herd last month.

The third generation farmer Mr Goss said: "It was down to many factors that we had to make the decision but the low milk prices was the final straw.

"We've always felt that that falling prices are down to the money not getting back to farmers.

"The supermarkets make sure their profits are covered but we are the ones that suffer always at the bottom of the pile."

It comes as the National Farmers Union announced that dairy farmers across the country are being short-changed to the tune of £200 million.

It said the dairy market is currently quite strong but buyers are not recognising this and "paying fairly".

It says evidence shows the market is on the way up with prices nearing 40p per litre and next month expected to hit 50p

But in Oxfordshire farmers say they are getting back up to 4p less than production costs in some cases and this is the reason farms have been forced out.

Consumers are urged to back British farmers to avoid the collapse of the local industry in Oxfordshire resulting in more milk being imported.

NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes said: "Since May this year market indicators have started to show a massive differential between what prices dairy farmers should have got compared to what they actually did get – between June and September this adds up to around £200 million.

"Clearly milk buyers should be concerned as to where their future milk supply will come from.

"Our message is clear, until milk buyers start backing British dairy farmers and start paying fair, sustainable milk prices, volumes will not recover."

Reuben White, of W White and Son dairy farm in Appleton, said he has cut the amount of milk sold.

The farmer, who owns a herd of about 130, said: "We cut our production back as we have taken the view that there is no point just pumping milk out.

"We cut our production back from about 1.1m Litres a year to 800,000 Litres a year which is a relatively small amount compared to others.

"It always seems to be and that there is hope for the future but really the vast majority of farmers have contingency plans in place to get out of the industry.

"The industry is still absolutely desperate, if we come together we could help change the milk crisis possibly, something needs to be done."