The supermarkets are creaming it

FOR LIB DEM NEWS (via Tudor Jones) Originally posted March 2nd 2005

During his visit to the North Wales constituency of Delyn, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Rural Affairs Minster, Andrew George MP, met with local PPC Tudor Jones and local farmers during a tour of Mold livestock market and a local farm.

Both Mr George and Mr Jones received strong support for the Party’s policy which seeks to constrain supermarket abuse of their powers in the marketplace which is considered to be having a severe and detrimental impact on the viability of many farms and the livelihoods of many farmers.

Mr George said, “The recent and very dramatic changes in the way farmers are supported under the Common Agricultural Policy means that they need to be much more ‘market orientated’. But how can they when the supermarkets have frankly got them where it hurts! For example, the Milk Development Council report shows clearly that whereas farmers are hardly breaking even (indeed 60% of them are operating at a loss) the supermarkets are creaming it.

“The Government, on behalf of society as a whole, should be able to distinguish between the rational use and the unacceptable abuse of power. Farmers’ indirect relationship with supermarkets is unsustainable for British farming. That is why the Liberal Democrats would introduce a Food Trade Inspector to operate proactively within the OFT,” said Mr George.