Celebrity chef James Martin calls for fair deal

Celebrity chef James Martin has called for dairy farmers to be fully involved in the decision-making process over the price they receive for their milk.

He said farmers were being left out of the loop when it came to big decisions which affected their futures as he threw his weight behind the campaign to get a fair deal.

Speaking at the International Cheese Awards in Nantwich, Mr Martin said farmers should have a greater say.

He said farmers were reliant on processors and supermarkets to make their living and were being left out of the loop.

Many farmers say they are getting only about 26 pence a litre for milk while it costs them about 30 pence a litre to produce. They fear the shortfall will force them out of business.

Mr Martin said: "I was a farmer's kid for 18 years of my life so I know how difficult it is to produce food and we need to respect it.

"As a nation we need to understand our food. At the end of the day supermarkets are here to stay, they need to compete. But as a dairy farmer you have to put all your eggs in one basket.

"The farmers are being left out. I can't change the situation because I'm just a chef, but I can support it."