Sainsbury's to offer contracts for organic beef

In a major drive to support the nation's farming industry, Sainsbury's will announce its intention with ABP to offer contracts to organic producers throughout the UK. This will include all of the supermarket's Northern Ireland producers and was announced at the ABP Ellesmere Producer Group meeting, held yesterday, Monday 23rd January, in Oswestry.

Karen Schenstrom, Sainsbury's Fresh Food Trading Director, said:

"Sainsbury's is keen to support British farmers. We have attended and participated in steering committees at Newry, Perth and Ellesmere; we have listened to what farmers want, and have based our actions on that feedback. We and our producers have addressed the whole question of contracts and have made them particularly relevant for organic producers today.

"We are also offering "top-up" price agreements for producers "in conversion". By doing so, we are able to give them the support and reassurance that as part of our Partnership Group they will be supplying into what we see as a bright future for organic beef with ABP and Sainsbury's.

"Additionally we have piloted a contract scheme for producers supplying Sainsbury's Extra Matured Taste the Difference range. There will be additional farm requirements that will be new to the industry. These conditions will position this prize winning extra-matured range at an even higher level.

"Producers will recognise from these announcements that a plan is in place to have a range of high specification beef products in Sainsbury's which delivers consistently on the aims of fresh, tasty, healthy and safe product that will further differentiate it within retailing now and for the foreseeable future."