The establishment of a Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) will be widely welcomed in the fresh produce industry. With the exception of the British Retail Consortium and its members, most people felt the move was long overdue.

It’s good news that all suppliers, whether in the UK or overseas, will have the power to complain anonymously when they feel mistreated. It is to be hoped this will remove some of the climate of fear that has prevented pretty much anybody from coming forward with grievances up to now.

But the government hasn’t got it all right. Its rose-tinted assertion that “the strongest deterrent to breach the code will come through impact on business reputation” is hopelessly optimistic, and raises many questions about how proven breaches will be publicised. Will they simply be posted on some hard-to-find area of a government website, or actively sent out to the national media? The detail is crucial.

Hitting supermarkets where it really hurts - the bottom line - is a deterrent that may well need to be brought in to ensure full compliance.

The establishment of the GCA isn’t just an excuse to bash the retailers. We all know they have helped build some hugely successful suppliers and have brought affordable food to the public. Many producers have excellent relationships with their customers.

But we also all know there are instances where they have used their power unfairly, and it is stamping out these cases that makes the GCA a big step in the right direction.