MP's farm cash call

AN MP has called for more transparency in the dairy industryafter hearing profits are not being passed on to farmers.

Meeting with the Farmers' Union of Wales, Carmarthen West andSouth Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart heard producers in Carmarthenshireand Pembrokeshire had received slight increases in what they werepaid for their milk in recent months, but that did not compare tothe increase in profits seen by the processors and stores.

He said: "Most farmers have had a price increase of about a pennyper litre but the prices in the shops have gone up by far more andthe cost of cream has never been so high."

Mr Hart feared the processors were stockpiling cash in thecurrent economic climate, while the increase received by farmers waseaten up by them having to pay much more for feed because a Russiandrought had driven prices up.

He added: "The Government is making progress with a supermarketOmbudsman but I would also like to see more transparency throughoutthe industry as to the true nature of their costs and profitmargins".

He also discussed controlling Bovine TB, bank lending problemsand stricter food labelling with the farmers.