Farming chief to visit Shropshire show
The chairman of the government's Agriculture Select Committee will get to hear about the troubles of Shropshire's dairy farmers first hand when he attends Minsterley Show this weekend.
Neil Parish MP will be visiting the show after an invitation from his Shropshire counterpart, Shrewsbury and Atcham MP, Daniel Kawczynski.
Minsterley Show is one of the most popular agricultural shows in the county's calendar and takes place on Saturday (August 8).
Mr Kawczynski said the visit would give Mr Parish the chance to hear Shropshire farmers' views on the crisis over milk prices and bovine TB.
He said: "He has accepted my invitation to come to hear first hand the terrible difficulties Salopian dairy farmers are facing at the moment."
Mr Kawczynski praised the committee chairman's agricultural background and described him as a man who understands the strains placed on farmers.
He said: "I have a lot of respect for him. He is a farmer and has a reputation as a very robust champion of farmers.
"This is not someone who has just been thrown into it, who has no interest or understanding of agriculture. This is someone who lives and breathes agriculture."
Mr Kawczynski said he would be making efforts to persuade the Government to find a way to help farmers.
He also said he had not been satisfied with the current approach to tackling bovine TB.
He said: "I am trying to build a coalition of support to persuade the Government to come up with real solutions for the dairy industry.
"I am also not happy with the extent to which the Government is dealing with Bovine TB.
"The fact remains that were are going to spend millions of pounds in compensation for slaughtered cows over the coming decade unless we get a grip on Bovine TB.
"I think that with the budget pressures faced by Government departments, to spend millions on slaughtered cows is not sensible."
