News briefs: Wiseman dairies outlook, Ben & Jerry vs China

By Neil Merrett

- Last updated on GMT

This week, Robert Wiseman Dairies says it is on track to meet its
2007 profit expectations, and the founders of ice cream maker
Ben & Jerry's takes a stand.

Robert Wiseman on target for full year results Robert Wiseman Dairies says it is on track to meet its sales and profit expectations for the 2007 financial year, as it looks to offset the 'exceptional rise' in supply costs during the last six months.

The UK-based cooperative said that a policy of price increases for its goods, the launch of a number of a new one per cent fat milk product called "The One" and restructuring has positioned it for growth in the year ahead.

Company finance director Billy Keane said that, as stated in a previous trading statement released on 30 January this year, the cooperative had begun to implement price increases for some of its brands to offset the costs.

"Our planned milk price rise to suppliers is despite weaker bulk cream prices that would ordinarily lead to lower milk prices," he stated.

"We believe an increase is required, however, to improve our relative position with regard to milk price paid and help ensure we have sufficient milk to meet our requirements in the forthcoming year."

Ben & Jerry's founders get political

The founding partners of Ben & Jerry's, have today decided to tread into the murky waters of international politics by attacking the Chinese government with a three vehicle protest convey, according to press reports.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, have financed a cross-country trip for the convey to draw attention to what they claims is the Chinese government's inaction in stoping the reported genocide in the Sudan, the Associated Press has reported.

According to the report, China purchases two-thirds of oil exports from the African country, and continues to supply weapons to the government accused of killings thousands of innocent people.

The vehicles are heading to San Francisco in time to meet up with the Olympic torch's only stop in the US on 9 April, before heading to the games themselves in Beijing.

Along the way, they will stop at universities and Ben & Jerry's stores to raise awareness of the protest, sporting banners with slogans like " China 's Disgrace, playing games in Darfur ," the report said.

The campaign is a private endeavour by Cohen and Greenfield and not a policy of the Ben & Jerry's company, which is now owned by dairy giant Unilever.

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