Should food imports be banned or restricted in order to boost our farming industry?

I think food imports should be restricted into the UK and I firmly believe that farmers in the UK should be paid a fair price. I'm in France and lamb is not cheap. It is good, but not cheap. This is because the farmers are paid a much fairer price for their lamb. Fortunately, I can buy free range, organic lamb from a farm up the road at two thirds the price from the supermarket which is not organic. On the other hand, I will buy New Zealand lamb at a very cheap price here. That I can cut up to mince or use in curry, whatever, or even roast and tis delicious.

End of the day the farmers in the UK should be paid a fair price for their produce. sad to say the British public have had subsidised food for far too long and supermarkest have made too large a profit. And yes, I thought that before I moved.

So Biggles thinks we in the UK should restrict our diet to what we can grow, not enjoy imports, while s/he enjoys all the variety that France with a climate ranging from lush Normandy to the Mediterranean gives him all the variety he needs PLUS cheap New Zealand imported lamb! Hypocrite!

I voted no - although I support UK producers where possible, buy our meat in the local farm shop, free range eggs & other goodies at farmers markets - we need imports for variety & to spread some of our high standard of living to poorer producers. What we don't need are eg beans from Kenya - they are suffering droughts yet we are effectively importing their water!

I agree with both of you in a way. Anything which we can grow or produce should be restricted. If we can't grow or produce it then we should be free to import it and support others economy at the same time. Also, as Biggles comment, our government should force the supermarkets to pay a fair price to farmers and this would be encouraged if they weren't being under cut by cheap, foreign imports. There are things we like but can't produce (for me banana's spring to mind!) but we also need to protect British farmers and their livelihoods.

As my past and some of my immediate family are farmers I'd like to say yes BUT we're not being realistic. I do get annoyed though that if I shop in the supermarkets, even though the produce I want to buy may be in season here, I don't get the chance to buy British. Not much choice with greengrocers/ fishmongers (without a car journey) these days but I do have some fabulous butchery choices.