Labour and Conservatives are failing British farmers and food producers

12.00.00am GMT Wed 6th Jan 2010

Following both Labour and Tory policy announcements on the future of food production and pricing it has become apparent that neither party really has the answer for British Farmers.

With the Labour party issuing its strategy for sustainable farming up to 2030 it is clear that it lacks direction and any real safeguards for Farmers in a period of recession and still does not address the issue raised by the Liberal Democrats and farmers across Britain, What is being done to help farmers to trade fairly and expect a decent farm gate price for their produce?

Tim Farron MP and Scott Collins calling for Fair Trade for British Farmers

"There's no point in having a strategy for 2030 if farming is dead by 2020," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary.Commenting as the Government launched its food strategy to 2030.

"While the Government has finally recognised the importance of UK farming to the future of Britain's food supply, the reality is that English farmers have been badly hit by rock bottom farm gate prices which have slashed incomes.

"It's clear that the Government's model for sustainable farming isn't working. What farmers need right now is a fair price for their produce.

"With thousands of farmers on the brink of bankruptcy, we need a new independent regulator to ensure producers are never forced to sell at a loss to over-powerful supermarkets"

Whilst the Tory party has announced a policy which talks tough on curbing the dominance of Supermarkets by creating a Supermarket Ombudsman.

"This is typical Conservative Gimmickry" Said Scott Collins , Parliamentary Candidate for South Northamptonshire.

"The body which they seem to be proposing lacks the legal status of the Food Price Regulator that we, The Liberal Democrats, proposed last September

"Farmers need a body which will be able to enforce conditions linking the Farm Gate price the retails price to prevent more farmers being driven to the point of bankruptcy and eventually out of business as they rated at a loss. Whilst at the same time Supermarkets make huge profits at the expense of hard working farmers".

"The simple fact is that if farmers are to succeed and maintain there massively important role in food production in Britain then they need help now to curb the losses they currently suffer."

Only the Liberal Democrats want to see Farmers protected from trading at a loss through the creation of a Regulator with legal powers to be able to protect farmers and food producers across Britain. This will not happen if the Conservatives create a toothless Ombudsman with no legal powers to prevent supermarkets from driving farmers out of business.