Lib Dems launch a better deal for farmers

11.00.00pm GMT Thu 9th Feb 2006

Farmers in Suffolk would get a fairer deal under new proposals launched by the Liberal Democrats.

Andrew Houseley, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich welcomed the paper, "A Sound Future for Farming", saying it would bring fairness into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and offered benefits for farmers, consumers and rural communities as a whole.

Mr Houseley said: "This paper sets out a strategy to use available funds better to help protect family farms and those in less favoured areas.

"Our strategy aims to put money back into rural communities. To this end we would ensure domestic production is not unfairly undercut by external competition and support continued local, sustainable food production in this country. We would appoint a Food Trade Inspector to protect suppliers from abuses of supermarket power.

"We aim to offer a fairer deal to local farmers by removing all direct production and export subsidies from the CAP, whilst driving up production standards for food imports."