Dover farmers host protest at supermarket in row over cheap imports 

On Saturday, 17th February, around 20 tractors took part in a demonstration at Tesco Extra in Whitfield. Farmers gathered to raise awareness of the threat to food security in the UK. They complained about the “unfair” treatment of British farmers in post-Brexit trade deals.

According to the BBC, Jeff Gibson of Fairness for Farmers said the protesters went to the supermarket to engage with customers and then headed towards the Port of Dover before the demonstration finished.

He added that the group was considering a protest at Westminster. Mr Gibson said: “It’s possible. From here, it would take about four hours on the A roads.

“Our organisation is all about fairness and equality for farmers. We are under a swathe of cheap food that’s coming into the country and destroying British agriculture.”

Welsh and Irish farmers join protests 

It is the second protest in the area, following a previous tractor demonstration around the Port of Dover on 9th February. Farmers around the UK have also been hosting demonstrations.

Last Monday, 12th February, 20 tractors and 15 pick-up trucks parked outside rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths’ in Wrexham in protest against the Sustainable Farming Scheme. They continued their protest on Friday, 16th February, with 80 tractors slowly driving on one of the main routes in west Wales.

On the same day, thousands of Irish farmers gathered in Waterford to say, “enough is enough”. The demonstration led by the Irish Farmers’ Association caused traffic disruption in and around the city.

Farmers across Europe have also been voicing their dissatisfaction with farming policies decided by the European Union for the last few weeks, including countries such as Germany, France, Poland and Italy.

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