BRITISH GROWERS are planning to attend a rally in Brussels on Jul 18 which has been timed to coincide with the first farm council meeting about the sugar regime reform proposals.

Mike Blacker, NFU sugar chairman, said he expected a large group of British farmers to attend the protest which is likely to involve 3500 producers from across the EU.

“We are taking a big group to show our weight and our solidarity,” he told NFU Council on Tues (Jun 28).

Talking about the reform proposals published last week, Mr Blacker said a 43% drop in the beet price down to £17/T was going “too far, too fast”.

A DEFRA study carried out recently showed that even the best beet producers in the country had costs of production of £19/T, he said.