NFU Scotland has welcomed support from members of all six main political parties in the Scottish Parliament for its call for the Supermarket Code of Practice to be strengthened to ensure fair play between all players in the food supply chain. Similar cross-party support has also been secured at Westminster and motions are being tabled in both Parliaments to reflect this.

A Scottish Parliament motion has now been lodged and the Westminster motion will be tabled next Tuesday following the Queen’s speech. This latest move follows a lobby of both Parliaments by dairy farmers a week ago in which the consequences of the imbalance of power between retailers and the rest of the supply chain were highlighted. However, the NFUS campaign seeks to protect all farm businesses, whether they produce milk, meat, fruit, vegetables or cereals.

The parliamentary motions recognise that the current Supermarket Code of Practice is ineffective and not enforced. They call for action to strengthen the Code by extending it to the whole supply chain, giving it clear legal status and ensuring proactive enforcement and protection for those who complain to overcome the fear amongst suppliers of reprisals. The Office of Fair Trading has noted that fear of reprisals is the main reason that not a single complaint has gone to mediation under the Code since its introduction nearly three years ago.

The Scottish Parliament motion, lodged by Alex Johnstone MSP (Conservatives) has been signed by a member of each of the other main parties: the Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party and Scottish Socialists. The Westminster motion will be sponsored by Malcolm Bruce MP (Liberal Democrats) and co-sponsored by a member from the Conservative, Labour and Scottish National parties.

NFUS President John Kinnaird said: “We are working with all political parties on this issue and their support and efforts have been extremely important. I am asking as many MSPs as possible to sign the motion and likewise MPs when the Westminster motion is lodged next week. It will send a clear signal that action is required to ensure farmers, and all other parts of the food supply chain, are treated fairly. The current imbalance of power between supermarkets and their suppliers is threatening the future of family businesses, jobs and investment in rural communities. I hope the growing political support will result in action to address this problem.

“There is clear political agreement that the current Supermarket Code of Practice is ineffective. An enforcement approach which relies on the OFT receiving a complaint before acting is useless in a sector marked by fear amongst suppliers of reprisals.

“There was broad political support for the introduction of a Code in 2002 to redress the imbalance of power between the major supermarkets and their suppliers. All we are asking now is for political action to ensure it works.”

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