What with Bomfords, Moerman and now Polehouse Nurseries all going into administration this year, it has merely underlined how tough it is to stay at the top as a horticultural business these days.

Supermarket price pressure is frequently cited as a major reason why firms are under pressure, so the news that the Competition Commission is calling for detailed evidence of correspondence between Tesco, Asda and their suppliers comes as very welcome news.

This is a step that has been long overdue, but it still doesn’t go anywhere near far enough. The Commission should not just single out these two supermarkets, or even just the ‘Big Four’, but should be demanding similar correspondence from all the grocery multiples, as well as B&Q, Homebase, Focus and the rest.

No retailer would ever admit to mistreating suppliers, so they should welcome a detailed investigation as a way of bringing some clarity to the debate. If they really have nothing to hide, then they have nothing to fear. Sure, many suppliers do have very good relations with their supermarket customers and of course welcome the business. But we also know that instances of blatant supplier abuse do happen and are not isolated.

Now the Commission is starting to show some bite, let’s hope it leads to some concrete results.