The new Environment Minister has agreed to visit the Ribble Valley to talk to farmers about their policy concerns.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans met with the newly appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Owen Paterson MP and requested he attend his constituency.
Mr Evans said: “I spoke to Owen Paterson, who has proved himself to be a competent and conscientious minister, about his new role and what he hopes to achieve at DEFRA.
“There has been a lot going on at Owen’s new department and most recently we have seen issues surrounding dairy farming and supermarket pricing wars.
“When I asked Owen to visit the Ribble Valley and talk to some of my constituents about their concerns he agreed immediately.
“He is keen to get fully up to speed with the issues facing the agricultural industry and I am heartened that he wants the views of farmers to inform the direction he goes in.
“I hope that we can arrange for the Secretary of State to come to the Ribble Valley as soon as possible because these are issues that are incredibly pressing for the families and businesses in our area.”
Mr Evans has been campaigning for a “fair price” for milk and argued that a fixed price must be considered by the Government if this cannot be achieved.
He said farmers in his constituency were being “held to ransom” by supermarkets buying their milk and that this was unsustainable.
The number of dairy cows has dropped by 140,000 over five years as farms close or merge.
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