By Anna Burdett Farming and rural affairs editor

Published at 13:55, Friday, 12 October 2012

NEW farming minister David Heath has promised to take a hard line with processors and retailers who fail to abide by a recently-agreed voluntary dairy code.

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The code was published last month following a summer of protests by dairy farmers, many of whom were being paid less than the cost of production for their milk.

Speaking to The Cumberland News on a visit to Cumbria this week, Mr Heath revealed he would not hesitate to impose a statutory code if the voluntary agreement did not see results.

He added: “I’m optimistic that the voluntary agreement represents a sea change in relationships within the industry.

“But that will only be the case if everyone plays by the rules and respects the fundamentals of the code.

“I’m not prepared to see us go back to a situation where a wholly unbalanced food chain was creating instability. I shall be consulting in the next couple of months on what a statutory code would look like.”

In Cumbria, some dairy farmers have been selling their herds because they say there is not enough money to be made.

Mr Heath, a Liberal Democrat, took over the job after the surprise sacking of Jim Paice in David Cameron’s recent Cabinet reshuffle. Mr Paice had been seen by many as a friend of farmers.

His trip to Cumbria on Tuesday and Wednesday was one of Mr Heath’s first in the post. He visited the new Kendal Auction Mart which is due to open this year beside junction 36 of the M6.

He also met the Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association, the NFU and National Sheep Association to discuss rural issues affecting the county and uplands farms.

“We need policies that recognise the special needs of areas like this,” he said. “I think it is becoming a pressing need to find ways of encouraging young people into agriculture. Food security is moving up the list of Government priorities, we need to feed the nation.”

He acknowledged the disastrous harvest experienced in Cumbria and other parts of the UK and plans to monitor the situation.

“I think there is a very difficult winter ahead,” he added.

His visit was part of a series of rural roadshows by all Defra ministers to give farmers direct access to government.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, accompanied the minister.

He said: “The overriding impression is of someone who is really keen to learn about the kind of farming and issues we have here.

“With a farming background and coming from a farming constituency in Somerset, David Heath starts off in a better position than past farming ministers.”

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk