The chief executive of the Agri-Food Regulator has issued a "call to action" to farmers and businessses to come together and "improve fairness and transparency" in the Irish food supply chain.

Niamh Lenehan said that a "partnership" approach is necessary because the regulator by itself cannot improve transparency and fairness.

"We do have people on the ground and we're looking at inspections, but it is very important to me particularly that people are coming forward and that they're trusting the regulator to pick up the phone and say look, I'm having this issue," Lenehan added.

She said the regulator's office is "open to feedback" in terms of what farmers or businesses would like to see in terms of improving transparency in the supplier food chain.

Agri-Food Regulator

Speaking on the latest instalment of the On the Record series on Agriland Lenhean said "it is not the regulator's job to set prices or talk about prices" but it is the office's job "to look at how that value is distributed along the supply chain".

The office of the Agri-Food Regulator was formally established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on December 13, 2023.

The chief executive stressed to Agriland that all businesses in the supply chain are "stakeholders of the regulator" and in the time since it was established it has "achieved lots".

Lenehan today (Wednesday, November 19) is scheduled to appear in front of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.

Committee chair Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West, Aindrias Moynihan, said it is the first time that the regulator has appeared before the committee since coming into operation.

"The committee is looking forward to engaging with the regulator to examine, and to ascertain, the effectiveness of their operations and their enabling legislation," Deputy Moynihan added.

He said the price consumers pay for food and the price paid to farmers for their produce "is a big issue for people".

Increased powers

Last year the Agri-food Regulator told the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine that it needs "enhanced powers" to compel businesses to provide information that is not in the public domain.

Lenehan told Agriland that the regulator currently has the "power to seek information".

She said that the office's request for additional powers is "still being considered from a legal perspective".

Meanwhile Minister Martin Heydon informed the Dáil last month that "a draft statutory instrument is now being finalised" in relation to the regulator's request for additional powers.

"As this legislation is novel in nature and exceeds the requirements under European law, it is essential that it is thoroughly examined," the minister added.