NORTH Dorset MP Simon Hoare has stressed the importance of maintaining farm food production as plans for a shake up in agricultural legislation progress.

Discussions took place over the government's agricultural bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Mr Hoare, who referenced concerns from farmers in his constituency, said Brexit presented an opportunity for the UK to have its own "bespoke agricultural policy" for the first time in decades.

"We must have up front and centre at the heart of the bill food production and security," he said.

"To those who say that food production does not matter and that we can make up the gap in domestic production through cheaper imports, which could be some sort of domestic Brexit dividend, let me point out this: those cheaper imports, potentially raised at lower standards, will only be cheap while there is a viable domestic production sector that introduces market competition.

"If we kill that off, then "hey presto" the prices will go up, and will be likely to go up higher to compensate for the greater discount introduced to kill off the domestic production."