The Tenant Farmers Association welcomes the amount of work that farming organisations have done over the last few weeks to help the farming sector but says that more needs to be done.

At a meeting in Kendall last night, organised by the NFU, the TFA, FFA and RABDF all spoke to update farmers on the progress so far.

Speaking at the meeting, TFA National Chairman Stephen Wyrill said “Although there has been some progress over the last few weeks regarding the crisis within the dairy sector and farming in the UK as a whole, there is more to do.  The past few weeks have been about getting retailers, processors and Government to understand the need for more of the margin within the supply chain to go to farmers.  We need to expand those discussions to include catering and food service sectors.”

“Whilst the TFA welcomes the decision by AHDB to become an “independent facilitator”, part of this role must be to coordinate communications using appropriate external help which provides a good return to the levy payer.  Now is the time for AHDB to shine and if it fails to do so, questions will be asked about its future,” said Mr Wyrill.

“More detailed work is yet to begin on the medium to long term need to find mechanisms which allow farmers to have greater control over supply and managing volatility.  This work is being carried forward in partnership with other farming organisations.  Although we are working together as a team of organisations I wish to give particular credit to David Handley and Farmers for Action who have been at the forefront in respect of discussions with retailers.  It is through working together that we are able to achieve more as an industry,” said Mr Wyrill.

“It is only because of the strength of feeling that we have seen through the well-organised, peaceful and targeted protests that we have achieved what we have so far.  We need to continue to grab the attention of the public and keep these issues firmly in their minds, as the public have been tremendously supportive to date.”

“I would also like to say to the landlord community that farm rents must come down this autumn.  Tenant farmers should not have to put up with any bully boy tactics which force already hard pressed tenant farmers into having to respond to inappropriate demands for rent increases,” said Mr Wyrill.