Farmers in 'Breadbasket of Britain' to be defended by North West Cambridgeshire MP from low cost imports

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling will lead the defence of farmers during a debate tomorrow (January 22) calling for a level playing field for British farmers who are being undermined from animal welfare and environmental rules.

Farmers in North West Cambridgeshire currently create jobs for 575 farm workers across the constituency, which is made up of more than 80 per cent of agricultural land and known for being part of the ‘Breadbasket of Britain’

The local farmers also bring to market about 6,000 pigs and 80,000 chickens.

But the farmers are facing a tough fight against imported products that are produced using methods that are banned in the UK.

The debate is being held as US trade envoy Jamieson Greer demands Britain relax food standards as the price for reviving a collapsed £31 billion technology partnership.

But Mr Carling will say that food standards form a red line for the Labour government with a manifesto pledge to 'promote the highest standards when it comes to food production'.

He said: “The Government is absolutely right to hold the line against chlorinated chicken from America.

"But we must also address the products already reaching our shelves.

"Farmers in my constituency have raised this issue with me consistently – they are being undercut by imports that don't meet British standards.

"I'm proud to support the Government's position on US imports.

"I'm asking ministers to extend our ‘red lines’ - it’s about fairness for our farmers."

Tashi Thomas, head of UK Policy at Animal Policy International, said: “If the Government is serious about protecting our shores from chlorinated chicken, they must apply that same logic to other animal products that are already undermining British agriculture.

"If it's too cruel to produce here, it should be too cruel to import."

Why is overseas farming hard to digest?

Campaigners say the are a number of reasons why foods from overseas should not be acceptable in the UK.

These include:

• 900,000 hens are currently being farmed in cages banned in Britain to supply the UK market.
• 97 per cent of UK pork imports (595 million kg in 2024) come from countries that use sow stalls, which was banned in the UK 27 years ago.
• Many crop imports, particularly from the US, Australia, and Canada, are grown using chemicals that have been illegal in the UK for years.