The Unfair Trading Practice (UTP) Enforcement Authority has yet to receive a complaint, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The authority was established under the UTP regulations, which were signed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue in April 2021, to deal with complaints of unfair trading practices.
It will be a part of the DAFM until the primary legislation for the new Office of National Food Ombudsman is finalised. Three staff members are currently assigned to the authority.
The department said that Minister McConalogue has committed to delivering a National Food Ombudsman or equivalent this year “to bring much-needed transparency to sector”.
UTP Enforcement Authority
According to the department, the UTP Enforcement Authority has “the power to investigate complaints from suppliers, including primary producers, carry out investigations on its own initiative and initiate legal proceedings for breaches of the UTPs”.
All supply agreements in place since April 28, 2021 must be compliant with the UTP regulations.
In response to questions from Agriland, the department said that “no complaints have yet been received and the authority has not initiated any investigations at this stage”.
From April 28 next, all supply agreements, including those in place prior to April 28, 2021, will have to be compliant with the regulations. The department said that a “targeted communications plan” is being developed so buyers and sellers are aware of this.
It outlined that the authority has been “actively engaging with relevant stakeholders” to promote awareness on suppliers’ rights and buyers’ obligations. This has included meetings with “the largest buyers of agricultural and food products” in the country.
The department advised any supplier who has been subjected to unfair trading practices to contact the authority in strict confidence.