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West Country MP Tim Farron has warned that the lowest milk yields in history means the Government must change their attitude towards farming or be faced with more farmers leaving the industry as they are unable to make a living.

Milk production in the United Kingdom has dropped 1.7m litres a day in 2007, leading to the NFU to predict that milk production could be between 1.7-1.9billion litres below quota for this year.

During a parliamentary debate on food security, Mr Farron who is the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming, questioned the Government's decision to accept the findings of the manifesto produced by National England which claimed too much of Britain's countryside was being farmed.

Commenting Mr Farron said: "The Government's decision to base its farming policy on a manifesto that believes Britain's countryside is being over farmed is both astonishing and dangerously misguided."

"The decline in milk production is evidence enough that this is simply not the case. Farmers across the country are facing ruin unless the Government accepts this reality. It is essential that we have a powerful market regulator who can make sure that farmers of all kinds get a fair price for their produce and are not exploited by powerful retailers or processors. "

"We have already seen a number of farmers leaving the industry because of their inability to make a living. If the Government persists with its disinterested approach then this trend is only going to continue".

11:13am Friday 18th July 2008

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