A NEW forum bringing together all sides of the north's dairy sector should be established, retailers have said.
Farmers have been protesting over the price of milk as the cost of production outstrips the amount they are paid.
They have taken their complaints Stormont and to supermarkets across the north.
Head of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) Glyn Roberts said it was time for the agriculture minister Michelle O'Neill to get all parties together.
He said the minister should bring together wholesalers, retailers, producers, processors and farmers to improve communication and partnership across the supply chain.
Mr Roberts said protests should stop and said the problem of low milk prices was not unique to Northern Ireland.
“The issue of milk prices is a European and global challenge, which requires a joint approach from Stormont, Whitehall and Brussels," he said.
"Locally, Dard need to do more to improve communication and partnership across the entire agri-food supply chain in Northern Ireland.
“Minister O’Neill needs to bring together key players in wholesale, retail, producers, processors and farmers in a new partnership forum to address the challenges facing the supply chain.
“In the past retailers are only brought to the discussion table when there is a crisis in the agri-food sector and so we need a new way of proactively working together."
The majority or milk produced in Northern Ireland is exported.
Supermarkets here battle on milk prices but retailers claim that does not affect the price paid to farmers.
Sinn Fein MLA Ian Milne, who sits on the Stormont agriculture committee, said farmers should be given financial flexibilties.
"There is no doubt that many farmers face going ti the wall if conditions in the industry don’t improve in the months ahead," he said.
“While it was recognised that the Assembly has little influence in areas like global pricing or trade embargo on Russia people were of an opinion that the British government could do more to help the farmers
“The British government could devolve more fiscal powers to the Assembly to enable them to support indigenous industries like farming in a time of crisis.
“In France for example farmers are allowed to defer tax payment in times of crisis to a point when they afford to pay without jeopardising their livelihoods.
“Dairy farmers are facing a major crisis with the low price of milk putting many farmers on the brink of selling up and moving out of the industry and unless we act now farms that have been in families for generations will be lost."
