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Milk Marque has confirmed plans to split into three regional producer co-operatives by next April, and it may set up regional headquarters at existing offices in Plymouth and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 06-Nov-1999 Milk Marque has confirmed plans to break itself up into three independent co-operatives from next April. 18-Sep-1999 Milk Marque is in discussions with the government about a possible structural change that would allow it to expand into cheese and yoghurt manufacturing. 07-Sep-1999 Milk Marque has won approval from Mid-Devon council to build a £50m milk processing plant in Cullompton, which will enable it to dispose of surplus milk. 16-Jul-1999 Milk Marque is seeking to change its constitution in order to become more commercial, and wants to stop dairy farmers from having the automatic right to join the co-operative. 02-Mar-1999 The Monopolies & Mergers Commission is to release its report on the milk market by the end of January, which will consider complaints from dairy processors about the way milk is sold by the Milk Marque farmers co-operative. 19-Dec-1998 Milk Marque has acquired North Bradon Farm, the Somerset-based cheddar cheese producer, for undisclosed terms. 03-Oct-1998 Milk Marque is planning to build a £50m butter and milk powder factory near Cullompton, Devon. 24-Sep-1998 Milk Marque has cancelled its July auction, throwing the wholesale milk market into disarray, following a decision by six large dairy companies to only offer token bids in protest at the high prices being asked. 18-Jul-1998 Milk Marque is increasing the indicative prices for raw milk by 10% for contracts starting in October, prompting the Dairy Industry Federation to accuse it of abusing its monopoly. 03-Jul-1998 Milk Marque has identified a possible site in south-west England for a milk processing plant, as part of a strategy to minimise the impact of falling milk prices on its supply business. 11-Jun-1998 Milk Marque is said to be planning to invest £100m in new processing facilities, but the Dairy Industry Federation has criticised the move because of current overcapacity in the sector. 24-Apr-1998 Milk Marque has been forced to reduce milk prices further, and has opened a fourth auction with the base price set at 19.01p a litre. 20-Feb-1998 Milk Marque has now reduced milk prices to a level that is 1p a litre below what was originally offered last month, as processing companies have not bid for sufficient quantities to "clear the market". 06-Feb-1998 The OFT is referring the raw milk market to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission, following complaints by the Dairy Industry Federation about the dominant role of Milk Marque. 28-Jan-1998 Milk Marque has been unable to raise milk prices as insufficient bids have been received for the milk it will have available from April 1. 23-Jan-1998 Milk Marque has set the price for the opening negotiations with milk buyers from April 1 at 23.1p per litre of ex-farm milk, an increase of 0.6p. 06-Jan-1998 Milk Marque, the dairy farmers' marketing co-operative, is to start offering long-term index-linked contracts to customers, a move which would soften its milk pricing dispute with the Dairy Industry Federation. 20-Nov-1997 Milk Marque has acquired Aeron Valley Cheese, the south Wales cheese producer, for under £10m, but the move has been described as an "abuse of monopoly power" by the Dairy Industry Federation. 08-Oct-1997 Milk Marque, the dairy farmer's co-operative, is planning to set up a manufacturing subsidiary called Milk Marque Developments, which will use up surplus milk and help to stabilise prices. 17-Sep-1997 Milk Marque has agreed to Office of Fair Trading demands to cut milk prices to 19.8p a litre, which is likely to result in lower prices being paid to dairy farmers but will improve margins for milk processors. 05-Jul-1997 Milk Marque is to determine the effectiveness of using the railways to distribute milk, with a one-month trial running between Cumbria and London and managed by Exel Logistics Tankfreight. 01-Jul-1997 Milk Marque is to send surplus milk abroad as it has failed to find UK companies willing to process it into butter and milk powder under contract. 06-Jun-1997 Dairy Crest has accused the Milk Marque sellers co-operative of being anti-competitive for trying to process its surplus milk into butter and skimmed milk powder, and says it should instead reduce prices to clear the surplus. 04-Jun-1997 Milk Marque is planning to strengthen its capital base by issuing preference shares to producer members in exchange for existing certificates of entitlement. 20-Feb-1997 Milk Marque has offered to cut milk prices for the first time since the Milk Marketing Board was broken up in 1994. 24-Jan-1997 Milk Marque, the farmers co-operative, plans to avoid a referral to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission by adjusting its wholesale milk sales system, but it still faces the threat of legal action from dairy companies. 22-Aug-1996 Milk Marque has announced a 3% price increase for milk from April, prompting criticism from the dairy industry. 16-Jan-1996 Northern Foods has asked for a MMC investigation into the supply and price policies of Milk Marque, the farmers co-operative. 11-Jan-1996 Milk Marque is to offer forward milk supply contracts for the first time in order to give continuity to customers. 07-Dec-1995
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