BBC News Online: UK Politics

Farmers lobby MPs for further aid

The farmers, dressed in the green and tweed uniforms of the countryside, marched on Westminster with flags and placards demanding instant action from the government.

Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown announced a £120m aid package to help the agriculture industry out of its current economic crisis.

Those farmers lobbying MPs on Wednesday said they were grateful for the aid but further measures were still needed.

'Public inquiry needed'

The slump in farming has been blamed on a range of factors, including the strong pound, the BSE crisis and a worldwide collapse in prices for farm produce generally.

David Maddocks, who has a 300-acre sheep, beef and arable farm in Monmouthshire, Wales, told BBC News Online: "We've come today to highlight our farming problems to the Houses of Parliament and our individual MPs.

"There has been a payment of £120m made to help farmers out but in the last 12 months farmers have lost almost £3bn.

"Were not specifically asking for more hand outs we're asking for a public inquiry into why British livestock faming especially, is in the crisis it is."

The farmers were also calling for a better deal for the rural community as a whole.

'Curb supermarkets'

Kirsty Williams, aged 27 was hoping to lobby her MP, the Liberal Democrat representative for Brecon and Radnorshire Richard Livsey.

She told BBC News Online: "We are here for three main reasons. One to say thank you very much for the package we've had so far - £120m announced this week but really that's not going to solve the problems and crisis in rural communities.

"We're also here to say farmers need a level playing field and we're here to say cut down bureaucracy which is killing farmers off.

"And third and most important we want to curb the powers of supermarkets which are killing farming and killing rural economies."

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