By unlocking the export potential China offers the pig industry, not to mention the red meat sector as a whole, we could gain entry into a marketplace which comprises a fifth of the world’s population.Labour promise ‘level playing field’ for British farmers
THE Labour Party has promised to tackle unfair practices from major retailers and to work hard to ensure British farming is ‘profitable and competitive’ in its election manifesto published today (Monday, April 12).
The manifesto, which sets out the party’s priorities as it tries to woo voters in the General Election, commits to establishing a supermarket ombudsman as well as improving country of origin labelling.
It also commits to wide-ranging CAP reform and a range of green measures including plans to set up a new framework for managing land in the face of environmental pressures.
The commitment to an ombudsman will be welcome, although not entirely unexpected, to farmers and is included as one of 50 promises to the British public should they be elected on May 6 when the country goes to the polls.
The manifesto says: “In order to protect farmers and food suppliers from unfair and uncompetitive practices by major retailers, we will create a Supermarket Ombudsman.
“Consumers have the right to know where food comes from. We are working with the food industry and retailers to ensure proper food labelling, including tougher and clearer ‘country of origin’ information. This will also help to level the playing field for British farmers.”
The manifesto also sets out the Party’s environmental promises, recognising the need for a new way of managing land to safeguard food security while meeting its targets for maintaining the environment and biodiversity.
As well as promising to maintain the area of Green Belt land in the next Parliament, the manifesto also makes a pledge to introduce a framework for land management that will recognise the need to increase food production as well as maintain the natural environment.
It says: “Competing pressures – from greater food production to housing and natural flood defences – are making the management of land resources ever more challenging.
“We will introduce a new framework for managing our land that can more effectively reconcile these pressures.
“We will put forward new areas for protected landscape and habitat status, focusing on green corridors and wildlife networks to link up existing sites. And we will commit to increasing the area covered by forest and woodland.”
The manifesto launch comes the day before The Conservatives are due to launch their election maifesto and farmers will be keen to see what their election promises will be, particularly on Bovine TB after they announced at NFU conference in February they would enact a badger cull should they be elected.
With no mention of the disease in Labour’s manifesto, it could be a key point of difference when farmers go to the polls on May 6.
Related images
Farmers Guardian newsletters
Get the best of Farmers Guardian delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign-up today
-
General news and breaking news alerts
Minimum weekly delivery -
Livestock, arable, dairy and young farmers
news and features
Monthly delivery
Readers' comments (6)
cyberdoyle | 12 April 2010 4:02 pm
interesting to note in the manifesto is that they are also promising 2megabyte broadband to the rural areas, which is 8 times faster than the 2megabit they promised in the digitalbritain report... or it could be that they don't know the difference in the same way they don't know an IP address from Intelectual Property?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
BK | 13 April 2010 11:05 am
What has that got to do with the article cyberdoyle? Promising a cull is just a cheap way of getting votes from people who don't seem to be given the facts of the science, only what is being pumped their way. It's all about the vote, and not about what is best. Financially, a cull just wouldn't stack up. I'd like to know why no-one is worried about rats, deer, stoats, weasels etc. All of which carry TB. They are not being rigorously tested. Why is this? Rats must spend more time with cows than badgers and there are a damn sight more of them. Deer graze alongside them...What gives? Do we not like badgers anyway or something? Or will we need to move on to culling everything that moves?? Maybe just TEST the cattle EFFECTIVELY. Its no secret that the test used misses positives allowing them to spread it on, and incorrectly identifies false ones (meaning cattle are lost for no good reason). And in five years all the vaccination will have had at least some clearing effect on the reservoir. Except the rats....
And I think what really needs addressing is the cost of a pint of milk or produce. There is no incentive to farm in an environmentally friendly way because of supermarkets. If Labour brought in an ombudsmen, it would almost have been worth voting at all.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Martin | 13 April 2010 12:33 pm
For the playing field to be level our produce needs parity with imported produce. So either overseas suppliers need to adhere to the same standards as we are regulated to or their produce must be very clearly marked as of lower quality, without underhand loopholes such as allowing foreign produce to be labelled British. Alternatively the differences could be ironed out by freeing British producers to work to the standards their customers ask for, not that bureaucrats determine.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
ex labour voter | 13 April 2010 4:54 pm
If Gordon Brown and the rest of his party were so concerned about the british farmers, he/they would make sure that we (farmers) had all had our single farm payment on time. I, like many others, are still waiting for the 2009 payment and without it, I have been struggling. I am only a small farmer but I provided good milk when I was a dairy farmer, and now provide good beef cattle, but I am struggling and desperately need the SFP, after all, farmers in other european countries have had their SFP, so if Labour want my vote, they need to do something about DEFRA and the RPA who have fobbed me off with lies and excuses for the past 6 months.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 13 April 2010 11:18 pm
promises,promises,promises.Thats all we hear from the government. They cannot credit us with much intelligence if they seriously think we'll believe that this time around they are commited to helping farmers and the rural community. After all what have they done for us so far?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Stephen | 14 April 2010 9:50 am
Too little, too late. They could have done this years ago if they really meant it.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment