The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has accused Irish retailers of having a 'scant disregard' for farmers by discounting potatoes heavily in the run-up to Christmas.
IFA president Joe Healy said that such promotions can have a "detrimental effect" on what is already a fragile market, adding that the IFA would hold the retail sector "directly responsible for any negative consequences" for the farming industry.
“This, again, illustrates the scant disregard which some retailers have for the primary producer of Quality Assured Irish grown product," said Healy.
"Their sole aim is to drive footfall, with no appreciation of the impact which these retail practices have further down the supply chain.”
Healy encouraged the sector to take account of the level of investment in the potato-farming sector, in order to secure a year-round product supply. “Potatoes must be sold as a premium product and not be used in practices which undermine the primary producer," he said.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
