Hexham Mart tomorrow: looking forward to the Northern Farmers Conference with Liz Truss, DEFRA Secretary of State

9.30 tomorrow I will be at the Hexham Mart for the Farmers Conference. Really pleased that Liz Truss, the Norfolk MP and DEFRA secretary of State is coming to speak and take part in a Q&A as part of her visit to the North East trip to Hexham and many other parts of Northumberland. For my part I am not speaking but watching, listening and learning and catching up with many of the locals who I know will be going.

The Norfolk MP will head the line-up of nine farmers and industry experts speaking at the conference under the theme of Which Way Forward?

Conference Chairman Andrew Robinson has said: “We are delighted to welcome the new secretary of state to our conference and very much looking forward to hearing her plans for supporting and developing the farming industry following the latest round of CAP negotiations.”
Also confirmed for the conference are: award-winning farmer Richard Price of Lowther Park Farms, leading share farming exponent John Henderson, dairy farmer and Nuffield Scholar Joe Delves, award-winning poultry farmer Richard Tulip and HSBC head of agriculture Allan Wilkinson.
Now in its fifth year, the Northern Farming Conference aims to give forward thinking farmers the chance to consider how best to progress their business.
The conference details are here: http://www.northernfarmingconference.org.uk/
Not too late to come along tomorrow!

  

Dairy Farmers London Crisis Meeting

Just back from the crisis meeting of the UK Dairy farmers, this afternoon, [see packed hall] who are in desperate trouble, because there have been severe cuts to the price of milk, by the retailers and supermarkets. Effectively milk is now being produced at a price [around 30p base price] and then purchased by the retailers at a cost below 30p - sometimes as little as 25p.

I could only stay for 40 minutes at the meeting because of the Air Ambulance Debate, but there is no doubt that the supermarkets and retailers should hang their head in shame. As one farmer put it: "how have we reached a situation where Tesco runs the country?"
I know some constituents attended amongst the thousands who were there but I am meeting some of my dairy farmers next week, and will be trying to speak to Jim Paice the Agriculture Minister in the intervening period.
For a fuller report: see here: http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/story/2012-07-11/dairy-farmers-protest/