Irish retailer SuperValu has agreed to provide financial support to farmers, as crops took a hit after an unusual heatwave swept across Europe in June and July this summer.
Managing director of SuperValu, Martin Kelleher said that the company is "very mindful" of the heatwave and its impact on the agricultural community.
"When shoppers come to SuperValu, they are looking for the best in Irish food, so it’s vital for us to ensure that we have top quality produce available. Given our status as the number one supporter of the Irish agrifood industry, we recognise we have a responsibility to our suppliers", he added.
SuperValu, part of the Musgrave Group, is committed to sourcing from Irish suppliers and supports over eighteen-hundred Irish companies. This is higher than any other grocery retailer in Ireland.
Heatwave Impact Across Europe
The recent heatwave has been a concern for agriculture across Europe. Norwegian retailers Norgesgruppen and Coop Norway are working closely with local suppliers to help their national agricultural industries overcome the drought.
In Germany, the German Farmers' Association warned that farmers could lose around half their harvests, and in some cases all of them due to unusually high temperatures and dryness in May.
The UK has also been forced to take drastic steps as the heatwave along with previous weather events has resulted in shortage of local vegetables. It has been forced to import salads and vegetables from Spain, Poland and the US.
The recent extreme weather events, which are likely to become regular occurrences because of climate change, continue to be a cause for concern for the industry.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Matthieu Chassain. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
