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First Milk chairman Richard Greenhalgh was invited to present to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers last week (6 May).

With 132 members, including Conservative party leader David Cameron, the group is one of the largest cross-party groups in Parliament. It was established two years ago to act as a catalyst to improve dairy farmers' returns.

Greenhalgh commented,” Since the publication of our Promar report on the rising cost of milk production, we have been inundated with requests to meet with politicians who want to find out more about the research we have commissioned and the influence that they can have in achieving a sustainable milk price for dairy farmers.

“We are not advocating that the countryside should become a museum, we simply believe that the price paid for milk should be realistic and enable progressive, efficient farmers to flourish. We have also been invited to present to Assembly member in Wales and Parliamentarians in Scotland, and we have scheduled in meetings during June.”

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham and chair of the all-party group, added: “I commend First Milk for the work they have done in highlighting the spiralling cost of milk production, and indeed for their ambition to build a progressive dairy company for the benefit of their farmer members.

“Dairy farmers need all the support they can get in Westminster to help them fight their corner, and our group has an important role in providing this platform.”

Picture caption (left to right) : Tom Campbell (First Milk farmer director); Richard Greenhalgh (First Milk chairman); Daniel Kawczynski (chair of all-party group and MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham); Roger Evans (First Milk farmer director); and Philip Dunne (member of all-party group and MP for Ludlow).

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For further information, please contact:
Paul Flanagan
Group communications director, First Milk
Direct dial: 0141 847 9789
Mobile: 07767 241452