Retailers and the government both came under fire at the Adas/Syngenta vegetable conference, held at the East of England Showground in Peterborough on Wednesday.

According to grower Mark Tinsley, md of PC Tinsley, there is still much to be corrected in the government’s attitude to horticulture and the relationships between supermarkets, packers and producers.

Applauded by the audience, Tinsley touched a nerve when he called upon the government to recognise that a profitable horticultural industry would be good for the UK, good for the UK consumer, good for employment and good for the environment.

He also addressed the retail sector and asked why suppliers came under pressure when retailers stepped up competition among themselves. “Is this not a short-term approach that may keep your shareholders happy temporarily?” he asked. “Because you are, if anything, taking bigger margins out of fresh produce than you used to. But eventually will you let down your customers and your shareholders?

“Instead trumpet that you are helping those downtrodden suppliers by helping their cash flow,” he told retailers. “Then admit that this is a less costly way to maintain business, rather than taking on new suppliers with all the hassle that it involves.”

Until now, Tinsley claimed, retailers have been able to play “hard ball”, knowing that another packer would willingly take someone else’s business or pick up the pieces after a supplier had become financially insolvent. “Those days are coming to an end,” he added.