A MEMBER of the European Parliament has assured North Yorkshire dairy farmers he is on their side ahead of a report by the European Commission on the industry.
Timothy Kirkhope, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said he was aware of the difficulties dairy farmers in North Yorkshire faced in dealing with retailers.
He recently met farming representatives and the NFU to discuss their need for action to afford them more certainty when dealing with retailers, some of whom fail to honour the price they agreed to pay the dairy farmers without notice.
The lower price, combined with the farmers’ increased costs, means they are often left out of pocket. As a result, they have no certainty of their income and there is little incentive to keep businesses going.
Mr Kirkhope, who is based in Knaresborough, said he and his colleagues in the European Parliament would examine the proposals contained in the report to ensure that, in future, there was greater transparency and fairness so dairy farming could continue to thrive.
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