Shrewsbury MP fights for dairy farmers
Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski has sent a letter to all the dairy farmers in his constituency, reassuring them he is on the case of milk processors that recently cut the price paid to them.
In a personal letter to the milk producers, Daniel Kawczynski MP expressed his concern about the price cuts and their impact not only on the Shropshire dairy industry, but on the county as a whole, as well as detailing his efforts in Parliament to remedy the situation.
With recent cuts by major milk processors of up to 2p per litre in the amount received by dairy farmers, combined with an increase in the cost of production leading to most Shropshire farmers producing milk at a loss of 5p per litre, many farmers have warned that they will be forced out of business.
The letter to constituents explains how Mr Kawczynski has set up the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farming, now one of the largest groups in the House of Commons, and attended an NFU-organised dairy summit on 11th July as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Jim Paice, where the Minister announced a £5 million Rural Economy Grant scheme to fund high quality projects in the dairy sector.
The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP has assured farmers that he is working closely with the industry to drive forward an agreement on a voluntary code of practice between dairy farmers and producers that will improve contracts and transparency around pricing, as well as helping to introduce the Grocery Code Adjudicator announced in the last Queen’s Speech, which was designed to protect suppliers and enforce fair treatment by large retailers.
Mr Kawczynski commented: “I feel passionately about this, as the cost of almost everything in this country has been regulated, but not the price of milk, and it’s my view that the extraordinary buying power of the supermarkets has trampled upon our local agricultural industry. I feel that a regulator with teeth, which can investigate monopolies, look into complaints, and which has the power to impose fines would help the industry recover.
“It’s hugely important that this bill is passed and I want to personally reassure those within my constituency that I’m working with MPs from all over the country to make sure that this happens with as few delays and amendments as possible.”
The letter also reassured dairy farmers that over 200 recommendations from the recent McDonald Review were being implemented to cut red tape in agriculture, and that Mr Kawczynski was working to enable farmers to establish Producer Organisations giving them greater power to negotiate contracts and prices.
