Call to protect farmers

Mar 5 2008 Evening Gazette

THE FOOD and farming industry has called for farmers to be put on a “level playing field” with foreign competitors and the rest of the supply chain, as protesting pig farmers gathered yesterday in Whitehall to protest against falling pork profits.

Tees agricultural bosses urged the government to protect farmers from cheap imports and ensure they received a fairer share of the end profits. Farmers say they are losing around £26 on every pig raised, largely as a result of spiralling feed prices.

Matthew and Tracy Betney, who run Broom Mill Farm in West Auckland, Lower Teesdale, said the Government could alleviate some of the difficulty by imposing tariffs on imports.

Mr Betney said: “Farmers are not operating on a level playing field with other European countries. The UK has the potential to be self-sufficient in meat production but other countries, such as France and Holland, receive more government support.

“The UK was one of the first to implement higher welfare standards, which encourage farmers to maintain the quality of the meat but not to make a profit.”

British farmers claim they have to comply with stricter welfare regulations than those in other EU countries, making their pigs more expensive to rear.

David Hugill, former chairman of the National Farmers’ Union’s North Riding and Durham branch, said pig farmers should receive a higher percentage of the price of the end product.

“The supply chain needs sorting out,” he said. “Some people make a lot of money from farming and more often than not, it isn’t the farmers. The rise in wheat costs has been a major driver.”

Last week, the price of higher-quality spring wheat - which is used to feed animals and make bread and pasta - jumped almost 25% in one day.