The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that a new authority focused on fairness and transparency in the agri-food supply chain must have “full powers of investigation”.
The Cabinet yesterday (Tuesday, March 22) approved a general scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022, which will, when enacted, establish the Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain.
It aims to promote fairness and transparency through a price and market analysis, and reports providing information on all sectors.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said that the new authority will engage with retailers, processors, wholesalers, farmers, fishers and others on the matter.
The new body will also act as the state’s designated Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Enforcement Authority.
IFA
Commenting on the Cabinet approval, IFA president Tim Cullinan stated:
“We have waited a long time for this. We look forward to seeing the draft legislation and to having genuine input into what powers the office will have.
“It must have full powers of investigation and be able to compel actors in the chain to provide them with real data and back up documentation. Just doing ‘market analysis’ based on ‘publicly available’ information will not cut it,” Cullinan said.
“This office will be crucial in ensuring a fair share of the consumer euro goes to farmers, and in regulating unfair trading practices.
“If it does not ensure a viable price for farmers for their work and investment, then we will see more farmers in horticulture, potatoes and the pig and poultry sectors go out of business.
“Large retailers using their dominant position to drive down prices to farmers to unviable levels, often below the cost of production, has to stop,” the IFA president concluded.