George calls for urgent Government response to save UK Dairy Industry

HOUSE OF COMMONS

MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Constituency of St Ives and Liberal Democrat lead on Rural Affairs, Andrew George, will today give a keynote speech at a national debate hosted by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Womens Institute (WI) in Westminster.

The NFU has previously identified a climate of fear in the industry that allows the big supermarket retailers put diary producers under unfair levels of pressure during negotiations.

The Great Milk Debate 2010 will also be addressed by senior figures from both organisations, Mr Mike Coupe (Sainsburys Group Commercial Director) and Mr George and is the culmination of nearly 100 regional debates that have taken place across England and Wales and involving 15, 000 people.

The debate will focus on finding ways to safeguard the long-term viability of the dairy industry. Specifically, the debate will address the issue of dairy farmers finding themselves financially strained because they are not receiving enough revenue for their milk. An NFU survey of the ten major milk buyers asked why farmers are being unfairly denied their share of millions of pounds of revenue.

Mr George is the Liberal Democrat lead on food and farming issues in the Commons and Chairs the Grocery Market Action Group (GMAG). The GMAG is an umbrella body that has led a national campaign for the creation of a Supermarket Adjudicator to prevent big supermarket chains abusing their market power and damaging the interests of farmers, suppliers and shoppers alike.

Mr George said:

Dairy farming lurches from crisis to crisis. If the present state doesnt persuade the Government to act quickly to introduce the long promised Supermarket Adjudicator then I really dont know what will.