Sainsbury's announcement of a unique multi-million pound deal with UK wheat farmers is an important step in engaging with the supply chain, the NFU said today.
Sainsbury's has revealed it will be the first supermarket to use flour guaranteed to be traceable back to UK farms for its 360 in-store bakeries. The deal, with farmer-owned cooperative Camgrain, means farmers will, for the first time, have a direct relationship with a specific retailer for in-store bakery bread.
Arthur Hill, chairman of the NFU's Combinable Crops board, said: "The volatility we saw in global cereal markets this summer, combined with the incredible weather conditions of drought and flood, has served to remind us once more that securing our food supplies is an important issue.
"We are pleased to see that a major British retailer has chosen to engage with the cereal supply chain, which is something we have been encouraging for some time now.
"This particular supply chain is taking responsible steps to ensure farmers are much more engaged with the consumer and vice versa. The NFU is supportive of this process of vendor assurance, which I am convinced is a major step in shortening the supply chain and enabling farmers to share in the cost savings from offering a better service."
