Farmers cause disruption at Dover in protest over cheap imports

Tractor-driving farmers have been staging a go-slow protest about cheap imports, around the Port of Dover.

Traffic in and out of the Kent coastal town was disrupted on Friday by the demonstration, which has involved tractors driving in small groups, causing delays.

Farmer Jeffrey Gibson, from Wingham, Kent, posted on Facebook that the protest was against cheap imports as well as the Government’s sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme.

He said: “Time has come enough is enough why are we as British farmers producing food to the highest standards in the world, only for the government to do trade deals with countries producing far cheaper food with little or no standards.

“As for the supermarkets selling British produce cheaper than the cost of production shame on you.

“The time has come to take a stance, if farming continues in this country as it is with the new SFI scheme actively encouraging us not to grow food and rely more on cheap imports none of us will exist once the government changes tack leaving us unequipped to grow anything.”

A Kent Police spokeswoman said: “Kent Police was called just after 5pm on Friday February 9 to a report of slow-moving vehicles in Jubilee Way, Dover.

“Officers are in attendance and working with the Port of Dover police on this matter.”