Liberal Democrat Party leader Nick Clegg used the NFU conference stage to call for more support for supermarket suppliers, saying “it’s time to take on the Trolleygarchs”.
“Britain’s food market is now controlled by a “Trolleygarchy” - with power and profit sewn up by the few biggest players,” he said.
“Supermarkets have an important role to play in our retail market. They generally do a good job in keeping prices for shoppers low,” added Clegg.
“But enough is enough.
“I’m a liberal. I believe the market should set prices for goods. When that drives efficiency from farmers, and benefits consumers, I welcome it.
“But if it is delivered by threats, blacklisting, and bully-boy tactics… If it delivers only profits for the retailer, not lower prices on the shelf… The market has failed.
“We already have proof of price-fixing on milk. And some supermarkets used catastrophes like Foot and Mouth or the summer floods to drive down farm gate prices, while keeping retail prices unchanged.
“Turning tragedy into turnover is a disgrace.
“The Competition Commission’s proposals just don’t go far enough. They’re only interested in increasing rivalry between supermarkets - even if that means we have to have hundreds more of them.
“Their remit didn’t allow them to look fully at the rough deal primary producers are getting, even though they’ve seen some damning evidence.”
Clegg did however welcome the installation of an ombudsman to monitor suppliers relationships with their supermarket customers. “It’s got to happen,” he said.
“I want a strong Food Trade Inspector, with his own powers of investigation, to enable complaints to be properly examined - with total anonymity for complainants.
“And I want planning rules to stop, not encourage, another generation of out-of-town stores springing up.
“It’s time for fair trade for British farmers.
“But farmers must also recognise that supermarkets are powerful because they’re popular.
“If you want to change the supermarkets, you need to change the people supermarket bosses listen to: the customers.
“You might think it’s a hopeless task. But it can be done. Consumers can change. The NFU is doing good work to make it happen - and it’s vital this continues, and goes further.
“That means farmers’ markets - which help drive custom into town centres and suburban shopping streets, and away from the out of town supermarkets.
“It means finding new outlets like vegetable box schemes, or your own websites.
“It means processing your food locally - alone or in cooperatives - to create specialist produce with a higher margin.
“It means opening up your farms to visitors - through B&B, school visits, and farm shops.
“It’s no use despairing that inner-city children don’t know that milk comes from a cow, or what an onion looks like. Help to do something about it - and you’ll have a new generation of consumers who actually understand and care where their food is coming from,” he said.
