Dutch retailer Jumbo has issued a statement seeking to clarify its current milk supply situation, after a number of stores posted 'ambiguous' in-store notices as to why some dairy shelves were empty in recent days.
As news portal NH Nieuws reported, some Jumbo outlets posted signs on dairy fridges indicating that a 'lack of precipitation' and 'too little moisture in the grass' were among the reasons for a dairy shortage, statements that drew the ire of farmers.
"I can assure you of one thing: drought and precipitation shortages have had no influence on milk production," one farmer explained.
"There is plenty of milk. Cows give the most milk in the spring. So that's not the issue. There is enough dairy in the Netherlands."
Others claimed that the shortage was due to Jumbo 'not paying a fair price' for dairy products.
'We Find This Very Annoying'
Issuing a statement on its website, Jumbo sought to clarify the situation, noting that in recent days, it has had to deal with a 'delivery problem' for its dairy products.
'As a result, several dairy products were not available at some of our stores,' it said. 'This has been resolved and the shelves will be filled again in the short term.
'A number of these stores have drawn up their own communication to inform customers about this. Unfortunately, incorrect information has been provided and this has caused ambiguity. This was of course not the intention and we find this very annoying.'
Responding to the reaction from farmers, the retailer added that it 'attaches great value to [its] cooperation between farmers and suppliers', as well as 'the importance of a good revenue model throughout the chain. This way our customers can continue to enjoy the beautiful, fresh and healthy products from Dutch soil.'
Read More: Jumbo Expands '1-Star Beter Leven' Dairy Range
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh produce news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
