Plaid calls for Milk and Supermarket Ombudsman after Aberconwy farm meeting

Following a campaign led by Phil Edwards in support of Aberconwy dairy farmers, Plaid Cymru has stepped up calls for a milk and supermarket ombudsman to help dairy farmers ensure a fair price for their pint of milk, laying an Early Day Motion to back the findings of a recent Competition Commission report.

Plaid’s DEFRA spokesperson at Westminster, Elfyn Llwyd MP, has this week laid an EDM after a meeting with farmers at Eglwysbach with Plaid Cymru’s Aberconwy candidate, Phil Edwards and receiving a petition signed by a thousand people on the issue.

Mr Llwyd said:

“I have been involved with this campaign for some years now, but the testimony of the Eglwysbach farmers surprised even me.

“Ten dairy production farms per week have closed in England and Wales in the last five years, showing the crisis felt in the industry.

“Meanwhile the supermarket industry has grown to encompass 75% of grocery sales within just four major companies who have a stranglehold on the market.

“The UK government has begun to recognise the issue but we have to tackle this problem in a big way now.

Phil Edwards added:

“After a number of meetings with dairy farmers, I launched a petition at the Royal Welsh Show in 2009 to support our farmers because many of them are not even receiving cost price for their products. We must take positive action to stop this haemorrhaging from the dairy industry before it’s too late.

“The dairy farming industry is one of the backbones of Wales but they have been scandalously let down and have operated with virtually no protection for many years under almost cartel-like conditions from the major suppliers.

“We must stand up for them, we need a milk and supermarket ombudsman with real teeth that will ensure fair play for our farmers.”

EDM 1035 ELFYN LLWYD MP

SUPERMARKET OMBUDSMAN AND DAIRY FARMERS

That this House welcomes the announcement of the introduction of a supermarket ombudsman as called for by the Competition Commission report of August 2009; notes that 75 per cent. of UK grocery sales are from supermarkets; further notes that the amount of money that dairy farmers receive for their milk from the supermarkets often does not cover the cost of production; also notes that the price farmers get for a pint of milk has fallen in real terms whilst their costs of producing milk continue to increase, and that England and Wales are losing 10 dairy production holdings a week; believes that this is putting the Welsh dairy industry at risk as well as the viability and sustainability of Wales' rural communities, including the care of the countryside and wildlife; and calls for the supermarket ombudsman to be formed as soon as practicable and for its responsibility to include ensuring a fair price and a fair and level playing field for dairy farmers against the purchasing power and market share of supermarkets.

Dairy farmers petition presented to local MP

Phil Edwards has this week presented a 1000-name petition to local MP Elfyn Llwyd calling for supermarkets to pay farmers a fair price for their milk, so that the dairy industry in Wales can be sustained for future generations.

The petition, circulated throughout Aberconwy, has attracted widespread support and is the latest stage in a campaign on behalf of hard-pressed dairy farmers launched by Phil at the Royal Welsh Show last year .

The signatories included those people who signed Phil’s petition online and on Facebook and was presented by Mr Edwards to local MP Elfyn Llwyd , as they met up again with dairy farmers this week at Y Wern farm, Eglwysbach in the Conwy valley.

Phil also highlighted the campaign in a meeting with Rowen Young Farmers club at Tynygroes recently.

Phil Edwards said:

"The response from local people to the petition showing support for their dairy farmers has been excellent and I thank them for that. People understand that farmers cannot carry on producing milk for them at a loss and all that they want is a fair deal from the supermarket giants.

“The survival of the dairy industry in Wales is vitally important. It is just plain stupid for us to import cheap milk from abroad when we have world-class producers on our doorstep who contribute so much to our rural communities. We cannot stand by whilst so many farmers are being bankrupted by greedy supermarkets. We must protect dairy farming for future generations.”

The campaign is now to be stepped up a gear and taken to the UK Government in Westminster by Elfyn Llwyd MP who will be laying down an Early Day Motion seeking support from MP’s across the House of Parliament.

Elfyn Llwyd, MP for Meirionydd Nant Conwy, added:

“The principle of setting up a Supermarket Ombudsman has now been accepted by the Government. The Early Day Motion will seek to secure cross-party support to ensure that the anomalous position of our dairy farmers is addressed by the new ombudsman whenever he or she is appointed.

“This has been an important campaign which demonstrates the support our farmers have in their community and we must ensure that the Welsh dairy industry survives in the future. We can only do that if they are paid a fair price for their produce.”