Dairy farmers need real help right now, says MEP

7.25.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 21st Sep 2009

West Midlands MEP Liz Lynne has welcomed a European Parliament resolution addressing the crisis in the dairy sector.

The resolution passed at the end of the session in Strasbourg called for a range of measures to help dairy farmers, many of whom have seen the price of their milk drop dramatically in recent months.

Many dairy farmers are now selling milk at a loss, which means they are losing money each month and relying on their savings, which is not sustainable.

The local LibDem MEP Liz Lynne commented:

"I am horrified at the current market situation for so many of our dairy farmers. It is plainly wrong and completely unsustainable that many of these farmers are being forced to sell their milk at a loss and are having to rely on their savings to get by.

"This resolution from the European Parliament which I have backed calls for more help for farmers and makes it clear that the domination large supermarkets, who sell milk at a loss to get people into their shops, is at least partly to blame.

"The Liberal Democrats have for a long time now called for an independent supermarket regulator to look at supermarket domination and the effect this is having on our farmers in particular."