Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, spoke in the Westminster Hall debate supporting farmers in the dairy industry.
The debate, which was attended by 26 MPs from different parts of the country, discussed ways in which the Government could do more to support farmers who work in the dairy sector. The dairy farming sector is currently the single largest agricultural sector in the UK, accounting for around 17 percent of UK agricultural production by value
Topics such as the role of groceries code adjudicator and the wording of the dairy code of practice were discussed. One of the main problems that dairy farmers have is the short notice of significant prices changes to their produce from retailers, which they can do nothing about.
MPs were told MPs that 50% of British milk is sold at home and that its price is a straightforward consequence of the relationship between UK-based retailers and the processors. Solutions that were suggested by participating MPs included identifying and exploiting new markets; accessing more EU funding to promote dairy products and greater collaboration between farmers. Short term proposals were also mentioned that could help including improving food labelling and procurement policies, fighting TB and deregulation.
Gavin said: “Farming continues to be an incredibly important sector for the UK and contributes significantly to our national economy and the preservation of our environment. We need to do everything that we can to support our farmers and protect our agricultural industry.”