Sarah Carr calls for real action to bring Fair Trade for British Farmers
6.38.57pm GMT Fri 8th Jan 2010
Sarah Carr, the Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire has reiterated her call for stronger regulation of supermarkets and has proposed a powerful independent Food Market Regulator to monitor and penalise supermarkets that treat producers unfairly.
Sarah Carr and her Liberal Democrat colleagues have reacted to watered-down Conservative proposals to borrow the Labour government's 'supermarket ombudsman' idea, describing it as 'a fig leaf that would provide cover for supermarkets, allowing them to continue to exploit British farmers'.
Commenting Mrs Carr said:
"This is an issue of real concern to Herefordshire farmers who are in constant danger of being bullied by supermarket giants to reduce their prices to a point where farms can no longer survive. For years both the Conservatives and the Labour Government have stood by whilst thousands of farmers have been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by the powerful interests of a monopoly of large supermarkets.
"Now is the time for real action. Farmers will be disappointed that the Conservatives proposals are a mere fig leaf solution that will leave farmers at the mercy of the supermarkets. The Conservatives are not standing up for the rural community and appear yet again to be taking any support from people living and working in the countryside for granted.
"Farmers will only get a fair deal if a new regulator is given the teeth to enforce a strict, legally binding code governing the relationship between supermarkets, suppliers, and pricing. We need fair trade for British farmers, not a fig leaf to protect supermarkets"
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