According to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), a recent meeting of horticultural growers ‘gave a unanimous mandate for direct action if retailers don’t give a fair price increase.’
The meeting, which was attended by more than 100 growers representing the majority of fruit and vegetable suppliers in the country, expressed frustration and anger at the failure of buyers to recognise the cost increases faced by the industry, but there was also fear about retributory actions, such as delisting, against any individual growers to took action on the issue. It was therefore decided that all decisions in relation to what action needed to be taken would be left to IFA President Tim Cullinan.
Speaking after the meeting, Cullinan said, “Growers are going out of business. Costs have gone up, but retailers, and discounters in particular, will not give a fair price increase and they continue to use food as a loss leader.
“IFA is currently on a round of meetings with the major retailers. We need to see serious commitments by them to address cost increases in the sector. They must start to treat growers with respect and realise that we will have no domestic supply of fruit and veg if they don’t foster and support growers. It is clear that growers are sick of how they are being treated and they are willing to fight for their businesses.”
He also called on the Irish Government to bring forward promised legislation for a food regulator. “It must have teeth and we want to see a ban on the below-cost selling of food,” he said.
Chair of the IFA Horticulture Committee, Paul Brophy explained that the cost pressures faced by growers are already affecting production, with a 40 per cent reduction in the area of broccoli being grown as just one example. “We’re just inundated with cost increases that are outside our control,” he said.
Photo Caption: Broccoli is one crop that is already seeing a reduction in the area grown