THE decision by Asda to follow other big stores in raising milk prices has been welcomed by the farmers' union in Lancashire.

Mike Taylor, chairman of the National Farmers' Union's North West dairy board said the move was a step in the right direction to safeguard the interest of all parties involved in the milk market.

He, said: "We are relieved that Asda has taken this common sense decision to increase liquid milk prices at a time of considerable difficulty in the market, witnessed most recently by Dairy Crest's price cut.

"Now it is up to the remaining supermarkets to restore their prices to a sensible level.

"It serves no-one's long-term interest least of all consumers to be continually draining value out of the milk market and putting the future of the sector at risk.

"The milk market is still under pressure on a range of fronts and we are still facing huge challenges in turning the sector round from the brink.

"But this is a move in the right direction," he said.