Scottish Farmers’ & Producers’ Ombudsman
13.01.10
The UK government’s decision finally to accept a Competition Commission recommendation that an Ombudsman is to be created to police the grocery supply chain in the UK has been welcomed by MSP Murdo Fraser. He believes this will benefit Angus and Perthshire farmers.
For a number of years the MSP has been calling for an Ombudsman to be set up to protect the interests of farmers and producers and to ensure that Scottish farmers get a fair price for their produce.
The MSP said: “This is good news for farmers in Angus and Perthshire as the Ombudsman will have the power to stand up to the supermarkets and ensure that our farmers will get a price that reflects their quality produce.
Supermarkets’ Local Purchasing
“At the moment, I believe that too many of our farmers and food producers continue to struggle under the burden of the low prices paid by the major retailers. We therefore badly need to inject some balance into the equation for our farmers in Perthshire, Angus and across Scotland
“With the creation of the Ombudsman, I hope that the supermarkets and major retailers will work harder with our local farmers to ensure that they get the fair price they deserve. I also hope that the Ombudsman does more to promote supermarkets to buy from local farmers so that the environmental impact of ‘food miles’ is reduced.”
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