Somerton and Frome MP Sarah Dyke has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament to recognise the value that small-scale cider makers and apple growers bring to the community and to highlight the challenges they face. The EDM expresses concern that the cider industry has undergone the longest and most damaging period of decline on record, that small-scale cider makers are facing unprecedented increases in costs and that the Government's decision to increase excise rates on cider from August has had a disproportionate impact on traditional ciders, whose ABV is naturally higher than alcopops.

Cider and cider production were established in the UK in the Roman era and written records of cider production in Somerset date back to the 12th Century. 156 different apple varieties have been linked to the county and the industry sustains thousands of jobs and hundreds of farmers. In spite of this, just over 50% of Somerset's orchards have disappeared in the last 50 years.

Speaking at an Apple Day event at Burrow Hill Farm earlier this month, Sarah Dyke commented, "I am determined to use my position in Parliament to champion this important industry and I will fight to protect traditional local businesses, which give so much to our communities. One of my first actions after being elected was to write to the Chancellor to call for reverses to the punitive cider tax changes. These changes make traditional cider more expensive and prohibit local businesses from competing with industrial alcopop producers."