LOCAL farmers who crowded into an open meeting left Farmers For Action chairman, Mr David Handley, in no doubt of their despair for the farming industry.

The meeting, held in Carlton Husthwaite village hall, was to explore the possibility of launching the first FFA branch on this side of the country.

An outspoken campaigner, Mr Handley made an impassioned speech on behalf of the FFA's fight for fairness and freedom for British agriculture and asked for support for the controversial group, which has staged several confrontational demonstrations over the past year to highlight the plight of farmers.

"We now have 6,500 members who are willing to take direct action where other organisations are failing us," he said. "Unless we get off our backsides and help ourselves, the industry is going to go down the pan."

He told the gathering how the group staged a demonstration outside supermarket giant Tesco after talks had broken down, in order to get a fair price for milk.

"We had tried all the normal avenues to talk this thing through with all the supermarkets but had got nowhere, even though we explained that we were selling them milk at 5p-6p below production costs. This couldn't go on, the demonstration worked and we achieved our aims where others had failed, and got an increase."

He went on to tell of other successes saying: "I think we have now shown we are not a band of insignificant right wing hooligans. The battle has only just started. We have to band together and be prepared to fight our corner.

"Farmers have got into the habit of sitting at home hoping someone else will sort out the problems for them. All our demonstrations are peaceful. All we are fighting for is survival, we are not throwing bricks, just trying to get our points home on an injustice when all other dialogue has failed," he said.

The association had now gone as far as getting involved in the EU in Brussels. "We will not take what is being offered, and have to fight the low prices being offered for our products by the supermarkets," said Mr Handley.

On low prices for lamb, Mr Handley said the NFU had put out a statement that it was happy at what was being offered. "We told our members to hold on to their sheep, the supermarkets panicked asking where all the lamb had gone - and we got our increase in price."

Farmers should also fight the threat to livestock markets. "The markets are the only way a farmer can get a fair price and not be taken down by abattoirs."

One woman present said the abattoirs were repeatedly cutting back profits expected and asked what could be done when farmers were quoted a price when their cattle left the farms, only to be given less for the meat after it had gone through the abattoir with its own way of weighing in and charges.

Mr Handley suggested that farmers ask for the offered price in writing before their livestock left in lorries. "If one abattoir will not do this, go to another. "

On imported/exported meat, he said farmers in this country should be treated in the same way, with the same standards, as suppliers of imported meat. "After all, we are European too," he said.

Turning to arable farmers' problems, he said the sooner profitability was achieved in the livestock industry, the more home grown grain, rather than imports, would be used as feed.

On the environmentalist lobby such as the Countryside Alliance, he had this to say: "We are all keen on preserving the environment, but you can't make a living keeping butterflies or birds. If a farm is not making money, the environment is the first thing allowed to go."

Making a plea for local farmers to join the cause, he said the best way to fight for a better livelihood was to fight together alongside the many other farming organisations.

"The trouble with most of these is that they cannot decide who will be chief. We don't want to be top dog, we just want to fight our corner. Your industry is going to go if you do nothing.

"This industry has gone through its worst-ever period, from the loss in the pig section, to poor beef prices and restrictions, to the worst problem of all, the hell of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"But it will survive. There has never been a better time to come together. We understand the NFU's position - we are not asking them to take direct action - but neither do they want us to either. Why shouldn't we, and get this industry sorted out? We need to speak as one voice. There are things we could then do to rock government policy.

"We need a 'vision for farming'. There isn't a quick-fit solution, we have to have people willing to work alongside other groups."

Vice-chairman, Mr Tom Houghton, explained how shoppers help by checking supermarket labels, the prices and the origin of the products and reporting back to the group.

"We are compiling a large dossier in this way and by this method have figures to back up our arguments. We have to become more like businessmen to prevent supermarkets selling below the cost of production," he said.

Following a lively question and answer session, it was decided to form a local branch of the FFA. Mrs Moira Peckitt, of Carlton Husthwaite agreed to be co-ordinator and can be contacted on 01845 501242.

Details of the next meeting, probably to be held in the dales, will be announced later