Farmers to perform go-slow in Ashford in row over ‘unfair treatment’
Published: 20:13, 22 February 2024
Updated: 15:57, 23 February 2024
Farmers are set to protest for the third time in a month.
Tractors will take to the roads of Ashford for a planned ‘go slow’ to demonstrate against cheap imports and unfair treatment of British farmers.
Organising group Fairness for Farmers says its members will be meeting in the Ashford livestock market at 4pm tomorrow.
They hope that bringing traffic to a crawl will raise awareness of the threat to food security.
Last Saturday (February 17), farmers took to the streets of Dover for a second time, having also rallied the previous weekend.
Steve Skinner who has a farm at Coldred in the Dover district told KentOnline on the day: “This is about food being sold under the cost to produce it.
"That's illegal in Europe but allowed here. It's not sustainable."
This came after an initial protest on Friday, February 9.
Protestor Sadie Howland was part of the convoy and says she is disgusted by the way the government has treated her family, who have farmed for 100 years.
"Our produce gets exported out for low prices while unsafe produce is being imported in," she said.
Gatherings of demonstrators across the town saw police officers placed on standby at the docks.
However, it is understood the Port of Dover experienced minimal disruption.
This comes as Europe's farmers ramped up protests against EU measures and rising prices, with blocked roads reported in Belgium, Spain, Poland and Hungary.
Farmers on the Continent say they have also faced heavy regulation, powerful and domineering retailers, debt, climate change and cheap foreign imports.
Many argue the EU agricultural system is based on the premise mass production is cheaper and better.
While most protests have been in France, similar action has been taking place in a host of countries including Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.
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Joe Crossley