Dover farmers launch tractor demo against 'unfair' prices

Farmers protesting against cheap imports have parked their tractors in a supermarket car park in Dover.

About 30 tractors went to Tesco Extra in Whitfield to protest against what they say is the "unfair" treatment of British farmers.

It follows a slow-moving demo protest around the Port of Dover.

Jeff Gibson, who set up Fairness for Farmers, said the group was considering a protest at Westminster. The government said it supported farmers.

Mr Gibson said that protesters went to the supermarket to engage with customers and then headed towards the Port of Dover, before the demo came to an end.

Farmers who took part were given permission by Tesco to set up their protest there.

Mr Gibson, from Yew Tree Farm in Wingham, said the group were working with Liz Webster at Save British Farming and were considering staging a future protest at Westminster.

"It's possible," he said. "From here, it would take about four hours on the A roads.

"Our organisation is all about fairness and equality for farmers.

"We are under a swathe of cheap food that's coming into the country and destroying British agriculture."

The protests follow demos by farmers across Europe who are campaigning against European Union farming policies amid concerns over unfair competition and cost hikes.

In recent weeks, French farmers have moved tractors to blockade routes into Paris and demos have also been ramped up in Poland, Hungary, Spain and Belgium.

A government spokesman said: "We firmly back our farmers. British farming is at the heart of British trade, and we put agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting UK food standards and removing market access barriers.

"We've maintained the £2.4 billion annual farming budget which supports farmers to produce food profitably and sustainably and are also looking at ways to further improve fairness in the supply chain."

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