TWO politicians met local farmers to discuss their concerns and the NFU's general election manifesto.

Louise Baldock, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Stockton South, and Paul Brannen, Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East who sits on the European Agricultural Committee, met NFU county chairman and local parish councillor, Martin Lowcock, and other farmers at a farm in Maltby.

The meeting covered a range of issues, including how people have become distanced from farming and food production. A survey last year found that a third of UK primary school pupils thought cheese was made from plants.

Louise Baldock said “Stockton South is a very varied place with urban, suburban and rural communities and it is important to me to meet residents from each area to understand their different issues. I was interested to hear how farmers are trying to reconnect the industry with local people and offered to talk to local schools about considering visits to farms. I also committed to raise awareness with the police about patterns of rural crime and farm based crime in particular and how we can tackle this together."

Mr Brannen said: "The EU is a central part of the agriculture industry in the UK and it’s important to meet farmers who are on the frontline of putting food on our tables. Hearing what people have to say allows me to represent the North East region better on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. It’s important that we show leadership in Europe and engage with our partners. "

Laurie Norris, from the NFU, said: "It was good to see Louise and Paul out on farm to discuss the wide range of issues affecting farmers. From rural crime and fly tipping to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, to agriculture in the school curriculum, our members were pleased to be able to inform the debate and get their views across. "