Robert Sturdy welcomes supermarket code for farmers
PRESS RELEASE
4 February 2010
ROBERT STURDY WELCOMES SUPERMARKET’S CODE FOR FARMERS
Eastern Region MEP Robert Sturdy has welcomed a new code of practice between the UK’s leading supermarkets and farmers which sets out guidelines to ensure the principle of “fair dealing”. It will be monitored by an independent ombudsman.
Mr Sturdy, who sits on the Agriculture Committee, said the guidelines which come into effect today, known as the new Grocery Suppliers Code of Practice, were long overdue. In the past farmers have been penalised unfairly by supermarkets; for example, for not being able to harvest crops on time because of poor weather, something which was beyond their control.
He said: “Supermarkets have had huge control over farmers and many of them no longer want to deal with them any more. They have pushed the price down to such a degree that a lot of farmers are considering withdrawing from supplying most of the major supermarkets. Farmers will just consider growing energy crops if supermarkets continue to force them down in price. Why should they suffer from the unreasonable pressures that supermarkets put upon them? We need to ensure that farmers are able to make their living from a liberal market free from price distorting practices.”
The new code of practice will provide retailers with clear guidelines for dealing with suppliers and contains an over-riding principle of fair dealings. It means farmers and other suppliers should get a fairer deal from supermarkets following years of complaints that the largest supermarkets have used their buying power to make unfair and unreasonable demands.
