Riverford Organics has entered the row sparked this week when it was revealed that the Prince of Wales had been axed as a supplier of carrots to Sainsbury’s.
Organic carrots grown on the Prince of Wales' Duchy Estates, rejected by the supermarket chain, will now be sold through Riverford’s box scheme, the company claims.
Devon-based Riverford Organics will buy 40 tonnes of carrots from the Duchy Estates and has already snapped up 25t from Soil Association director Patrick Holden - also given the chop by Sainsbury’s. "Our customers are very discerning people who demand tasty carrots and they absolutely loved them," said farm manager Andy Johnson
"In the end over half the crop were Grade A, and they looked and tasted fantastic. Not only was there nothing wrong with them - they were great.
"They were going to give up but we managed to persuade them to carry on because the quality of the carrots were so good," said Johnson.
Holden blamed the rejection of both his and the Duchy's crop on the demands Sainsbury's places on its suppliers and claimed he and Prince Charles were victims of the centralised supermarket supply system.
Sainsbury's rejected the claim and said some of the carrots had rotted because they had been kept in cold storage for too long.
Not so, said Holden "I was told that the customer never lies and I was even passed an unsolicited email from one who said the carrots were absolutely delicious.
"I think it is Sainsbury's who have suffered most from this and that is unfair because they have done more to support organic farmers than anybody.
"If they want my carrots next season I will be happy to supply them but I won't be sending them to Peterborough. They will be bagged in Wales and Sainsbury's can have them there.
“It is the centralisation policy that prevents farmers from supplying supermarkets in Wales and the West Country because all the local packhouses have closed down but I firmly believe it will be the public - who want to buy local home-grown produce - who will force the supermarkets to change."
