FARMERS said yesterday they were looking for Government help to create a fairer market place when competing with imports.

They were speaking at a Red Tractor Day event at Thirsk Auction Mart, in North Yorkshire.

Yesterday was the UK's first Red Tractor Day.

The symbol offers a single, independent kitemark which offers shoppers farm-to-pack assurance on UK-produced food.

It now appears on £5bn worth of food every year.

Peter Hull, chief executive of Farmway Ltd, said: "We support British agriculture and what customers want is confidence in the product.

"The whole issue of traceability is important and farmers are just looking for a level playing field.

"In this country, we go through all the hoops to make food as fully traceable as we can, yet when we import food it is not necessarily of the same standard."

Farmer David Hugill, of Raikes Farm, Stokesley, said: "We are trying to get a positive message across.

"The Red Tractor logo has been around for some time and can be seen to be working well now.

"Bird flu has given poultry farming a real hammering but we have British chicken with the tractor logo on still selling well."

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh launched the event. She said: "This is a chance to promote farming positively and to show everything which is positive about the industry."