News story

29th October 2003

MP Takes Action in Parliament to Support Local Dairy Farmers

Northavon MP Steve Webb has backed a House of Commons motion in support of
local dairy farmers who are protesting at the shockingly low price that they get for their milk. The MP has acted in response to complaints from several local farmers who are struggling to make ends meet.

Frampton Cotterell farmer Michael Weaver, who takes over as NFU county chairman in December, told Steve Webb that the number of dairy farmers in South Gloucestershire has slumped to one third of the 1998 total. He said that this was due to a combination of Government policy on farming and pressure from large supermarket chains, driving down farmgate prices and forcing South Gloucestershire dairy farmers to the brink of bankruptcy.

The Commons motion that Steve Webb has backed urges dairies and supermarkets to enter into negotiations with farmers to ensure that they receive a fair return which they can reinvest in the industry and help to secure their future.

Steve Webb said:

"It is outrageous that most of the price of a pint of milk goes to supermarkets and distributors and only a small proportion to the farmer. It is totally unacceptable that local farmers cannot even cover the costs of producing milk from the price they get. I want to see the supermarkets paying a fair price for milk and that is why I have backed
this motion in Parliament".

Commenting on the wider problems faced by dairy farmers, Michael Weaver said:

"We are being forced to compete on the 'world market' where, quite honestly, in some of our main competitors the welfare is disgusting. But their products are shipped half way around the world and sold for less than our own."