British retailer Tesco has announced that it is introducing new contracts for lamb farmers in the UK as part of a multimillion-pound investment strategy.
As with its recent announcement regarding beef, this is part of the Tesco Sustainable Farming Group initiative, which seeks to guarantee a price above the standard market rate to farmers by establishing multi-year contracts with the retailer.
The various sustainable farming groups promote discussion around sustainable production, customer needs, quality standards, and ways to foster communication between Tesco and its suppliers. They are also a way of maintaining supply, increasing efficiency, and enhancing animal welfare.
Seeking Stability
Speaking about the announcement, George Wright, Tesco’s commercial director for fresh food, said, "We know many lamb farmers are looking for stability to overcome the uncertainty surrounding CAP payments, so we’re delighted to be offering these industry-leading COP contracts to 160 lamb farmers across the UK.
"Through our ten sustainable farming groups, we’re building transparent, long-term partnerships with our farmers and producers, and our cost-of-production model is the next stage in ensuring our farmers have the confidence to invest in their businesses and build for the future. The door is open for more British lamb farmers to join us and take advantage of the new model," added Wright.
Around a third of the farmers included in this new deal are Welsh, and the company is currently seeking out more farmers to join the programme.
For Welsh farmers Richard and Sarah Wilde, from Welshpool, the new contract means that lamb farmers in Wales and across the UK "can invest and plan for the future with confidence, and ensure we continue to provide Tesco customers with the very best British lamb".
© 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.
