DAIRY farmers from North Yorkshire were today heading to Westminster to look for MPs’ support as they claim their industry is facing “a crisis”.

A group of ten farmers, representing the number who are leaving the sector every week, will make the trip as part of a campaign by the NFU to secure the future of producers.

The organisation says current milk contracts offer no certainty or clarity on the price dairy farmers will be paid for what they produce, and many are locked into deals lasting up to a year which provide no escape clause even if the price they receive is reduced.

David Shaw, who farms at Elvington, near York, and chairs the NFU’s regional dairy board, said: “This is a problem which, for too long, has effectively forced dairy farmers out of business.

“But there is now some hope on the horizon and that’s why we are urging MPs to take urgent action.”

Mr Shaw said proposals have been drawn up by the European Commission to tackle problems with the dairy supply chain across Europe, but the Government’s support is needed to implement them in the UK.

He said: “We really need this and we hope the Government will then go to work with us to draw up a contractual code of practice to promote fairer dealings between farmers and dairy companies.

“The Government has a real opportunity here to raise the benchmark and help safeguard the future of hundreds of small family firms.”

The trip has been organised with the backing of Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and other farmers joining it are Bedale-based Tim Gibson and Tom Cummins, who farms at Whitby.