President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), Ian Marshall, has called for the immediate appointment of a supermarket ombudsman to investigate the buying policies of EU food retailers.
Agiland.ie reports he made the call at the UFU’s Co. Antrim President’s Area meeting this week, where he said, "Farmers must get a bigger slice of the retail cake.
"And one way of ensuring this happens is for Brussels to appoint a supermarket ombudsman with real enforcement powers."
Marshall also noted that the debt burden on Northern Irish farmers has risen considerably over the last year, adding that banks need to review their lending practices where agriculture is concerned.
"Farmers need access to cheaper money. The European Investment Bank may well be an option in this regard. But Farm Minister Michelle O’Neill must act to make this a reality," he said.
Confirming that the union would be meeting with Northern Irish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, O’Neill, he said that the UFU would be asking her to introduce a £250 million capital grant scheme as a matter of priority.
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
