Supermarket profits soar as farmers suffer

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th May 2007

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming has today hit out at news of the annual profits of supermarket chain Sainsbury's rising 47% from £267 million to £380 million. The industry giant has seen sales jump to £18.5 billion while many of Britain's farmers are struggling to survive.

Mr Farron, who has previously tabled a parliamentary Early Day Motion on the unfairness of milk prices has met many farmers who have suffered firstly at the hands of the farcical Rural Payments Agency, and secondly from the anti-competitive conduct of supermarkets.

Tim Farron said:

"Profits on this scale, whilst excellent for the future of a large British business, will only rub salt in the existing wounds of Britain's farmers, not just in my constituency but up and down the country.

"Farmers deserve a fairer deal from the large supermarket chains. I have called on the government previously to ensure that they work towards this and enable this vital industry to flourish once more."