Ulster Farmers’ Union Deputy Presidents Ian Marshall and Barclay Bell have attended the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham where Tesco chief executive Phlip Clarke promised that in future the UK’s largest supermarket would be sourcing more local, shortening the supply chain and working in closer partnership with farmers.
Speaking from the NFU conference Ian Marshall said; “I am encouraged by Tesco’s promise today to improve the supply chain by sourcing locally and working in closer partnership with farmers, however, Tesco must not only back these promises up with actions but must also deliver a meaningful commitment to farmers’ profitability. Unfortunately, we have heard promises from supermarkets in the past and have been let down.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s taken the impact of the horsemeat scandal to bring this issue to the fore. For years, we have been urging retailers to get behind UK standards and produce and if Tesco backs their promise with a meaningful commitment to sourcing and farmers’ profitability it will be a huge step forward in improving the supply chain.
“I hope that this move by Tesco will inspire the other retailers to follow suit and re-evaluate their sourcing procedures and we wait with interest to see that words turn into actions.”
