Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, says he is ready to champion legislation which would make it illegal for any food to be sold below the cost of production, a measure farmers say would be a sure-fire way of them getting a decent return for their milk.
In France it has been illegal for ten years to sell food for less than it costs to produce. And, says Mr Liddell-Grainger, in view of the calamity now overtaking the dairy sector – with hundreds more producers poised to quit – such a measure is urgently needed in the UK as well.
He has already been allocated space in the Parliamentary timetable to introduce a Bill reinforcing controls on satnav providers.
But, he said: “It would be an easy matter to retain the allotted time and simply change the subject matter. And under the current circumstances I am convinced there would be strong cross-party support for legislation such as this.
“I’m afraid governments of both colours have watched this crisis creeping up ever since we got rid of the Milk Marketing Board. They have seen farmer co-operatives collapse, they have seen supermarkets and processors come to dominate the market totally and put farmers in a stranglehold, but they have done absolutely nothing about it.
“But this crisis has now reached such proportions that only Parliament can sort it out.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said processors and supermarkets which still maintained the problem of falling milk prices was all the fault of global over-supply were being disingenuous.
“The fact is that British consumers have shown since the latest farmer protests started that they are willing to pay more for their milk: indeed thousands of customers of the surviving independent small dairies already do and do so happily.
“Under those circumstances it is entirely feasible for the shelf price to be raised to a level where a decent price – and a reasonable profit – can be delivered back to the farmer. “All politicians need to be made aware that we are drinking in the last chance milk bar: another year of this and we shall be plunging headlong towards a dairy-free zone in this country.”