About 200 farmers in Canterbury, Kent, have demonstrated against the importation of foreign food and the low prices supermarkets pay for their produce. The protest involved a convoy of tractors and vehicles through the city.
The British Retail Consortium responded by highlighting the effort to reduce customer prices amidst rising costs. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) emphasized its commitment to prioritizing British farming in trade deals, aiming to enhance export opportunities, uphold food standards, and tackle market access barriers. Richard Ash, the protest organizer, criticized the environmental impact of importing food and called for greater support for the UK farming sector. The protest, which garnered public support, follows a similar action at the port of Dover. Defra reiterated its support for British farmers, mentioning the maintenance of the £2.4 billion annual farming budget and efforts to improve supply chain fairness and promote British products.
Source: bbc.com