“The recession has imprinted on consumers’ buying behaviour, with shoppers becoming savvier and increasingly conscious of food waste. This new era of competition in the retail world has made it more important than ever for the NFU to maintain regular discussions with retailers, with 32 retailer meetings taking place within the last two months,” said Ruth Mason, NFU Chief Food Chain Adviser at a recent Monmouthshire NFU Cymru meeting.
Ruth Mason heads up the NFU food chain unit team, which plays a vital role in supporting farmers’ post the farm gate. With retail food sales worth £112bn annually, it is vital to continue discussions with all retailers in order to raise industry concerns, such as stable and fair prices, retailer sourcing policies, transparency and public commitments.
Ruth Mason continued, “Competition from the discounters has ushered in a new supermarket price war between the big four supermarkets, in an attempt to retain customers. In particular, Tesco is experiencing unprecedented competition from the discount retailers, Aldi and Lidl, as well as Waitrose and M&S at the higher end of the market. There is a constant battle between the top four to increase footfall as they all compete for market share. This battle, combined with the power of discounters Aldi, Iceland and Lidl, is squeezing the middle section. It’s a very competitive market.”
Gary Yeomans, NFU Cymru Monmouthshire County Chairman said, “All we as farmers want is a fair return for our product.
“We really hope that discussions continue in terms of increasing shelf space of homegrown products and the extending of seasonal commitments. We sincerely hope that retailers can be clear about their sourcing commitments and work with farmers to help offer quality products for customers.”
