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Trade with UK Farmers and Growers - PAGE HIDDEN

Food manufacturers in this country buy two thirds of the crops and animals produced by the UK's farmers and growers. These raw ingredients are processed by manufacturers into the great tasting, safe, convenient food and drink products we enjoy day in day out. Many of these products are also exported, offering farmers and growers the opportunity to benefit from sales overseas.

Manufacturers in the UK are hugely important customers of farmers and growers, and FDF members value their close ties with this country's agricultural community. However, FDF also believes that to preserve these links, it is vital that UK farmers remain competitive on an international level. Agricultural raw materials represent a significant part of overall production costs for food manufacturers. As such, ready access to good quality and competitively priced agricultural raw materials is vital for the manufacturing sector's success.

If standards imposed on farmers here by our Government are far above those faced by their counterparts in other parts of the world, then this risks reducing the competitiveness of UK agriculture. This means it is essential the Government benchmark UK farmers' businesses with those of primary producers overseas to ensure a level playing field is achieved as far as possible.