Lewes MP Norman Baker has renewed calls for the government to give greater protection to local farmers and suppliers in areas such as East Sussex.
Mr Baker, a long-standing campaigner for greater protection for local farmers and suppliers, has made the appeal in light of recommendations made yesterday by the Competition Commission to establish a supermarkets Ombudsman to resolve disputes between grocery retailers and suppliers.
The Competition Commission's recommendation calls on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to establish an Ombudsman to investigate complaints under the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) as soon as possible.
Lib Dem Norman Baker has welcomed the Competition Commission's recommendation, and has appealed for the government to create the post as soon as possible, so as to prevent supermarkets from applying unfair pressure on farmers, improve the rights of local farmers and suppliers, and create a fairer food market in the area.
Norman Baker commented:
"The Competition Commission's recommendations are to be welcomed, and the government must now quickly act on their proposals. I believe that supermarkets have been applying unfair pressure on farmers and suppliers for too long, and that these practices must be clamped down on.
"Throughout the local area, huge supermarkets have been monopolising profits for far too long. While the cost of milk has been increasing for consumers, farmers have been seeing less money for producing that milk. For a long time, there has been too little redress for farmers and suppliers caught in disputes with massive retailers. This situation needs to change.
"There is a real need for stricter rules, and for greater protection for local retailers who can't be expected to take on massive corporations by themselves. An independent regulator would help protect the supply chain from local farms upwards. The government should implement these recommendations as soon as possible."
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