Gill: certain groups' efforts to blame fmd on intensive farming are wrong Pressure groups and political lobbyists who are trying to hijack an official probe into UK food production methods, were slammed by NFU president Ben Gill this week. The farmers' leader is urging Tony Blair to ensure that a government investigation ­ expected to take place after the foot and mouth epidemic ends is based on "sound understanding and real facts". In a wide ranging and exclusive interview with The Grocer, Gill, who has been the public face of farming throughout the first three weeks of the outbreak, also revealed for the first time that he was unhappy with some of the draft proposals for a new trading code of practice between the top five supermarkets and their suppliers. But as pressure for an official inquiry into UK food production methods grows, Gill told The Grocer: "Efforts by certain groups to turn the inquiry into an attempt to blame foot and mouth on industrial or intensive farming are wrong. "The disease is prevalent in many areas of the world, and almost without exception it is found in the poorest countries where farming is the most extensive. "However, having said that, I believe we need to look closely at border protection and internal controls." During the past two weeks, the NFU leader has been away from his North Yorkshire farm taking part in crisis meetings in Whitehall and Brussels, not to mention countless radio and tv appearances as the foot and mouth crisis deepened. But although he insists the first step in an inquiry should be an urgent investigation into how the disease entered the UK and spread so quickly, Gill said he did welcome a "proper official look" at UK food and farming methods. He declared: "I will debate the generic farming systems with anyone. But, as I have said many times, I think food is too cheap. We undervalue it and we ought to look at that." Gill's comments suggest that the renewed, fierce debate about relationships between the multiples and farmers ­ sparked last week when Tony Blair suggested supermarkets had farmers "in an armlock" ­ will heat up during the general election campaign. Although declining to go into detail, and while admitting the code of practice was "an enormous step forward", Gill insisted more work was needed on the draft currently being considered by farmers and manufacturers across the trade. While the multiples had agreed to a draft document, the NFU would, as a matter of urgency, be studying all aspects of the draft before putting its views to the Office of Fair Trading. However, the NFU leader was "surprised" the PM had made the "armlock" remark, given the work which had gone into uniting the food chain in recent years. He said: "We have always focused on creating a food chain which works together. And there have been many initiatives, including the new code of practice, to work towards that. "But, having said that, some of the big retailers have indulged in practices which no-one could condone. We have to drive that sort of thing out, and we are working towards that end at the moment." Gill believes Blair, in his widely reported speech at a Gloucestershire agricultural college last week, was trying to articulate the oft-heard view there is a "tremendous inbalance in size and power when the big retailers are compared with the farmers". But he went on: "That's just part of life. As I repeatedly say to my members, when your fertiliser rep comes into the yard and he bids you £80/tonne for your nitrogen supply, you don't say you've heard he's having a bad time and can you pay him £90/tonne. You say someone's bid you £75/tonne, even though you have not seen anyone else. "This is all about the law of the jungle and we farmers have got to turn it around to our advantage." A leading figure during the past two years in agriculture minister Nick Brown's campaigns with the IGD to unite all branches of the food chain, Gill insists it is impossible to generalise when discussing relationships between farmers and the big food retailers. He explained: "For those in the know, relationships between supermarkets and farmers are better than ever. "But the vast majority of our members do not have day to day dealings with the supermarkets. "So they go by the rhetoric put across by those who are in the middle. "And quite often it is those people who are the problem in our food chain. They confuse the situation to maintain their own jobs." Meanwhile, the NFU leader, while admitting he was "not totally relaxed", was hopeful the FMD epidemic would soon peak. He believed the government's early decision to restrict the movement of animals had been vindicated, adding: "I hope we will soon begin to see the end of it all, but I would be stupid to be complacent." {{NEWS }}