Growing supermarket power was top of the agenda as Ayrshire farmers met with MPs and MSPs recently. NFU Scotland members updated politicians on current issues facing the farming industry.

Des Browne MP, Sandra Osborne MP, Rosemary Byrne MSP, Adam Ingram MSP, Cathy Jamieson MSP and Margaret Jamieson MSP all attended the meeting at The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock.

The main item on the agenda was NFU Scotland's ongoing fight for fair trade campaign.

Jimmy Young, Ayrshire Regional Board Chairman, said:

"This meeting was hugely encouraging and I am very grateful to all those, both farmers and politicians alike, who attended.

"NFU Scotland's fight for fair trade campaign concentrates on supermarket power within the food supply chain and how the misuse of this power threatens the future of Scotland's world class food and drinks industry.

"We are pressuring politicians both north and south of the border on three main priorities: an Office of Fair Trading inquiry into the growth of supermarket power in the grocery sector; the establishment of an independent supermarket watchdog to police fair trade between UK supermarkets and suppliers; and a Scottish Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the impact of supermarket power on rural development.

"The first two priorities within our campaign are reserved to Westminster. At the meeting, the MPs agreed to raise the issues with Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, and to host a meeting in Westminster to allow NFUS to meet with more Scottish MPs to discuss the issues in more detail. We look forward to taking up this opportunity.

"On the issue of the Scottish Parliamentary Committee inquiry, we must thank all MSPs who have been involved in the issue as it has recently been announced that the Environment and Rural Development Committee will be conducting an inquiry into the milk price issue. Our hope is that this inquiry will provide an opportunity to address an issue which affects all sectors of agriculture and is undermining political parties' policies for rural development."

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