NFU post wont alter picketers viewpoint
NFU post wont alter picketers viewpoint
By Robert Davies
SUPERMARKET directors would be wrong to assume that becoming an NFU county chairman will change a leading farmer picket.
Clive Swann, one of the best known faces at farmer protests in north Wales and in counties like Cheshire and Lancashire, remains as militant as ever. As for all NFU office holders, picketing now has legal implications, but he insists that the chairman of Clwyd NFU can still be a thorn in the side of retailers and caterers who sell inferior imported foods.
"I have always argued that we have to use a two-pronged attack with the lads on the picket lines backing up the efforts of NFU negotiators, who have credibility and stature."
While he will not be leading future protests, Mr Swann will take up the results of label monitoring with store managers. He says that the public has asked for high standards, and the government dictates how food is produced, but supermarkets will still not highlight higher UK production standards.
He runs 300 beef cattle at Ffrith Farm near Mold and plans to use his NFU office to campaign for retailers and caterers to buy British beef rather than 200,000t imported each year. He is critical of the effort being put into beef exporting rather than into home market development, especially in the catering sector.
"We cannot compete on global markets because our higher standards mean higher production costs. But we can compete and thrive if our British products are clearly labelled in shops, and caterers tell consumers the source of what they are feeding them."
Mr Swann is convinced that peaceful direct action has already achieved much. Farmers have shown the food industry that they wont be walked over, and this has strengthened the NFUs arm when negotiating. *
Clive Swann will continue to campaign for fairer prices.