The Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, today (Wednesday, July 12) welcomed the signing into law of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 by President Michael D. Higgins
The bill provides for the designation of specific functions to a new Agri-Food Regulator.
Minister McConalogue said: “This landmark legislation, which I have personally led out on since being in opposition, demonstrates my long-standing commitment to bring increased fairness and transparency to the agricultural and food supply chain.”
“The independent office, which was a key programme for government commitment, will be known as An Rialálaí Agraibhia and will promote and enforce the principles of fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain, having a particular regard to farmers, fishers and small food businesses.”
The minister said the agri-food regulator will have powers to impose fines of up to €10 million on buyers, including retailers, food producers and processors, “who engage in unfair trading practices with farmers and other suppliers”.
Under the law, the agri-food unfair trading regulations may prohibit short notice cancellations of orders of perishable products.
It can also specify the manner and timeframe in which payments for agricultural and food products supplied to relevant trading partners in the agricultural and food supply chain are to be made.
Bill signed into law
Meanwhile, President Higgins also signed the Veterinary Medical Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill, 2023 into law.
Both bills came from both houses of the Oireachtas – Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann – and after amendments, they were each passed and signed into law by the President on July 11, 2023.
The Veterinary Medical Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill, 2023 saw changes for purchasers of veterinary products, medicated feed and fertilisers, who will now have their data from the purchase documented on a database.
The bill states: “A person who issues a veterinary prescription or dispenses a medicinal product or medicated feed on foot of a veterinary prescription shall record on, or cause to be transmitted to the national database, the issuing of the prescription or dispensing of the product.”
The bill also allows the minister to establish a register of professional fertiliser end users, to be known as the professional fertiliser end users’ register.
A person who operates as a professional fertiliser end user without being entered in the register commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction, to a class A fine, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €100,000.
The bill ensures that a person entered in the register who purchases a fertiliser product must now supply their unique professional fertiliser end user identification registration number to the person from whom they acquire the fertiliser product.