Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk and a member of the All Party Parliamentary Dairy Group, is sponsoring a House of Commons Bill that will seek to increase the powers of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission to protect milk producers and consumers.
The All Party Dairy Group has been calling for higher prices to be paid to farmers for their milk. The Bill proposes that the OFT and the Competition Commission take into account the long-term future of the industry as well as the powers of milk processors and retailers in ensuring a fair price is paid.
Speaking after the Bill passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons on 25 July, Christopher Fraser said: “Dairy farmers face huge difficulties caused by over-regulation, bovine TB and rising costs. This year has seen farmers receiving better prices from supermarkets, but often with constraints added. In many cases, prices paid are still below the average cost of production, and farmers are warning that the extreme weather this summer is increasing costs yet further.
“The Bill aims to ensure that action taken by supermarkets recently is maintained and built upon so that dairy farmers get a fair price. It would be shameful if the UK dairy industry is not supported and more farmers go out of business. The industry has a proud history and I for one cannot contemplate a future where British milk becomes a niche product at the expense of European milk imports.” |