Supermarkets 'named and shamed' for predatory pricing

Irish farmers have stepped up their attack on supermarkets, placing newspaper ads naming and shaming those retailers involved in "aggressive discounting".

On Friday (8 February) ads were taken out in The Independent and The Examiner criticising Dunnes Stores in particular.

"The central message in our campaign is: 'Farmers can't produce two for the price of one'," said Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe.

"The kind of food discounting we have highlighted is putting the livelihoods of thousands of Irish farmers at risk - particularly pigmeat, beef and lamb producers, and potato and vegetable growers.

Mr Walsh claimed that all of Ireland's remaining 450 pig producers were losing money, ranging from €25 to €30 per pig. At the same time supermarkets were discounting Irish pork by up to 50%.