Hundreds of farmers have arrived in London today to pressure the Government to do more to help Britain’s agricultural crisis.
Coachloads of farmers have arrived in Westminster to take part in a march organised by campaign group Farmers for Action.
Three coaches carrying 150 farmers set off from South Wales as early as 4am this morning, making their way to the capital.
Farmers For Action says it wants the Prime Minister to acknowledge that there is 'a major problem' in the agricultural sector.
"We keep getting soundbites from ministers, saying they're listening and have a 25-year strategy plan. But the majority of farmers here today want to know how they will get through the next 12 months.
"Falling prices across the industry are making production unsustainable. People cannot take this any longer," said David Handley, who organised the protest and is a dairy farmer in Monmouth, South Wales.
Low wholesale prices for goods including milk and cereal have caused income to plummet for many farmers across the UK.
According to Government figures, the average income of dairy farmers will have dropped by 45pc in this tax year to £46,500.
Meanwhile cereal farmers, who have been hit by a surge in global production and a strong pound, have suffered from a 24pc drop in annual income to £34,000.
Growing competition from global markets and increasingly fierce supermarket price wars have intensified the problems.
Tenant Farmers' Association National Chairman, Stephen Wyrill said: “We need as many people as possible from the farming industry to get to London today to demonstrate the importance of our industry and to highlight the need for a clear strategy from Government to ensure its future sustainability.
"For too long we have allowed the mantra of free-market economics to drive agricultural policy and this has left the farming community between a rock and a hard place in terms of dealing with suppliers on the one hand and processors and retailers on the other.”
“It is the imbalance of power in the supply chain which is the major threat to the future of our industry.
“Processors and retailers can use their dominant power to dictate terms to the farming community whilst the cost of many of the inputs we use, not least land, has more to do with what is going on in the wider economy than within agriculture,” said Mr Wyrill.
The Landworkers Alliance has also applauded the protest: "We commend Farmers For Action (FFA) for calling this demonstration to highlight the inequality of the UK’s agriculture industry", says LWA spokesperson Ed Hamer.
"The Conservative government’s drive for ‘sustainable intensification’ has focused public support on intensive technologies and markets, leading to commodification and price volatility and directly undermining the livelihoods of thousands of small, traditional and family farms across the country".
"We would instead like to see progressive agricultural policy combined with market regulations that allow farmers to maintain traditional farming skills and knowledge whilst also being able to earn a livelihood from their land."
The march is open to the general public.
